[ad_1]
A new Russian Progress freighter was put into orbit Sunday evening (February 14) to deliver cargo to the seven crew members of the International Space Station.
Russian space agency Roscosmos launched the Progress MS-16 freighter, also known as Progress 77, on a Soyuz rocket from Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:45 p.m. EST (04:45 GMT on February 15, 10 a.m. 45:06 am Baikonur time). He will arrive at the station on Tuesday.
Progress 77 carries around 5,424 pounds. (2,460 kg) of cargo and crew supplies currently on board the station. This includes 3,086 lbs (1,400 kg) of search and crew supplies (such as food and clothing), as well as fresh water, nitrogen gas, and propellant for the aircraft’s propulsion system. Zvezda service module of the station.
Video: Watch the Russian Progress 77 freighter take off
Related: How Russia’s Progress Freighters Work (Infographic)
Space.com Collection: $ 26.99 at Magazines Direct
Get ready to explore the wonders of our amazing universe! The “Space.com Collection” is full of amazing astronomy, incredible discoveries and the latest missions from space agencies around the world. From distant galaxies to planets, including moons and asteroids in our own solar system, you’ll uncover a plethora of facts about the cosmos and learn about new technologies, telescopes, and developing rockets that will reveal even more of its secrets. See the offer
Tucked inside the payload fairing of its Soyuz 2.1a launcher, the Progress MS-16 spacecraft rolled onto the launch pad on Friday (February 12), ahead of its scheduled launch on Sunday. This way, the ground crews could complete their final flight preparations.
The Soyuz is a 152-foot-tall (46-meter) three-stage launcher. It was to head northeast after launch, dropping its four strap-on boosters about two minutes after takeoff. The second stage of the rocket (also known as the main stage) is powered by an RD-108A engine designed to keep firing for about three more minutes before handing over the reins to the third stage of the rocket – an RD-0110 engine.
Once the rocket reached a certain altitude, the fairings fell off to expose the Progress MS-16 spacecraft, which separated from the top stage of the thruster nine minutes after the start of the flight to head towards the station. spatial.
After separation, the Progress Spaceship should deploy its solar panels and navigation antennas. It will then line up with the space station and prepare for docking with the Russian-built Pirs module on Tuesday February 16 at 1:20 am EST (6:20 am GMT).
The Pirs module is a docking port on the Zvezda service module that also serves as an airlock for station crew members to use during Russian-led spacewalks. Pirs is expected to be removed when the Progress 77 spacecraft completes its mission in July.
In its place, Roscosmos will bring a long-awaited new addition: the Nauka lab. This will mark the largest addition to the Russian segment of the space station since the installation of the Zvezda module in 2000. (There is another similar port in Pirs, called Poisk, which will remain on the station.)
Related: The International Space Station now houses the world’s first commercial airlock
The Progress spacecraft is an unequipped cargo ship that closely resembles its crewed counterpart, the Soyuz Spaceship, which is used to transport astronauts to and from the space station. The main difference is that Progress is used to transport goods and is also designed to burn when it enters Earth’s atmosphere, while Soyuz will land on Earth.
Because Progress vehicles are disposable, they are typically loaded with trash and other items to throw away before heading out on a route to burn in Earth’s atmosphere, typically in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.
Progress 77 is the first of two scheduled cargo deliveries to the space station in one week. On Saturday, February 20, an American-made Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to launch from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on its own two-day trip to the space station.
Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link