posted 08-01-2012 01:11 PM               

Progress M-16M set for expedited station flight

Progress M-16M, the 48th Russian unmanned craft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, will liftoff Wednesday (Aug. 1) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Unlike past Progress flights however, it will also arrive at the orbiting complex later the same day.

Loaded with 1,962 pounds (890 kilograms) of propellant, 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of oxygen and air, 925 pounds (420 kilograms) of water and 2,817 pounds (1,278 kilograms) of supplies, spare parts and experiment hardware, Progress M-16M is scheduled to launch at 2:35 p.m. CDT (1935 GMT, 1:35 a.m. Aug. 2, Baikonur time) on a novel four-orbit, six-hour expedited transit to the station.

With this launch, Russian mission controllers are testing a modified rendezvous plan designed to reduce the typical two-day flight to the ISS. If applied to the crewed Soyuz vehicles, this would increase crew comfort and provide for additional contingency time at the end of the spacecraft’s mission.

If all goes as planned, docking by the Progress to the Pirs docking compartment will occur at 8:24 p.m. CDT (0124 GMT Aug. 2).

Flight controllers retain the option to revert to a two-day rendezvous if something unexpected occurs in the first three hours, or two orbits, of the mission. In that case, the docking would take place late Friday afternoon (Aug. 3).

posted 08-01-2012 06:41 PM               

Progress M-16M launches for same-day docking

The Russian Progress M-16M cargo craft launched Wednesday (Aug. 1) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, at 2:35 p.m. CDT (1935 GMT).

Docking is targeted for less than six hours after liftoff at 8:24 p.m. CDT (0124 GMT Aug. 2) to the International Space Station.

posted 08-01-2012 09:03 PM               

Progress M-16M docks in just four orbits

Progress M-16M docked to the Pirs docking compartment at the International Space Station on Wednesday (Aug. 1) at 8:18 p.m. CDT (0124 GMT Aug. 2) after completing just four orbits of the Earth. The unmanned cargo craft launched earlier in the day from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 2:35 p.m. CDT (1935 GMT).

The space station crew will enter the Progress on Thursday (Aug. 2) to begin unpacking its cargo.

posted 02-09-2013 07:18 AM               

Progress M-16M departs space station

Progress M-16M, loaded with trash, undocked from the International Space Station's Pirs docking compartment on Saturday (Feb. 9) at 7:15:27 a.m. CDT (1315 GMT).

The Progress will leave orbit three hours later and burn up above the Pacific Ocean.

M-16M's departure clears the Pirs module for the arrival of the new Progress M-18M (50P) resupply spacecraft. It is scheduled to launch at 8:41 a.m. CDT (8:41 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on Monday (Feb. 11), from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.