Progress Capsule Launched To Resupply Mir

Progress Capsule Launched To Resupply Mir


by Frank Morring, Jr.

from Aerospace Daily

04/25/00 05:41:47 PM U.S. EDT

Russia launched a Progress capsule to the Mir orbital station today to resupply the two cosmonauts who are rehabilitating the 14-year-old spacecraft for possible commercial activities.

Liftoff of Progress M1-2 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan came at 4:07 p.m. Eastern time, according to MirCorp, the private venture seeking to keep Mir (shown) in orbit as a business. Progress M1-2 is set to dock at the Kvant module port at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time Thursday.

Meanwhile, Cosmonauts Sergei Zalyotin and Alexander Kalery were scheduled to close the hatch on Progress M1-1 in preparation for its separation from the station Wednesday to clear the docking port for the new capsule. The two have apparently sealed a slow leak in the station, and are continuing to reactivate systems and clean up the station for future visitors.