A new Progress cargo ship docked to the International Space Station today, carrying more than 2.5 tonnes of fuel, water and other supplies. Progress 20 was recently detached from the station to make room for this new arrival; it will burn up in reentry shortly. Progress 22 might actually remain permanently attached to the station, though, serving as extra closet space for the astronauts.
New supplies arrived at the International Space Station Monday as an unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft linked up to the Pirs Docking Compartment.
Filled with 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the station’s Expedition 13 crew, the ISS Progress 22 automatically docked to the Pirs airlock at 11:25 p.m. CDT as the spacecraft and the station sailed 220 miles above northern Africa. The 22nd Progress to visit the station was launched Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams will open the hatch to the supply ship once leak checks are completed later Monday. The crew will begin unloading items Tuesday.
The supplies include food, fuel, oxygen and air, clothing, experiment hardware and spare parts, as well as personal items from the crew’s families. The new Progress joins an older Progress supply ship that arrived at the station’s Zvezda Service Module in April. Progress 21 will remain docked until mid-September. It will be used to stow trash, and its supply of oxygen will help replenish the station’s atmosphere when required.
ISS Progress 22 holds 1,918 pounds of propellant for the Russian thrusters, 108 pounds of oxygen and air as a backup supply for the oxygen generated by the Russian Elektron system and 264 pounds of water to augment onboard supplies. The new cargo also includes 2,800 pounds of spare parts, experiment hardware and life support components.
The experiment hardware includes items that will be used by European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter once he arrives via the Space Shuttle Discovery’s STS-121 mission. This flight will return the station to three crew members for the first time since 2003.
The next station status report will be issued on Friday June 30, or earlier if events warrant. For more about the crew’s activities and station sighting opportunities:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
Original Source: NASA News Release