An
unpiloted Progress 28 resupply vehicle departs from the International Space
Station and prepares for a fiery plunge into oblivion.
Russian Progress
ships have supplied the space station for years, and were more recently joined
by the new
European ATV ship in ferrying food, oxygen, and equipment from Earth. Although
their design resembles that of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, the Progress ships
never return to Earth, and instead burn up during reentry in the atmosphere.
This particular ship was loaded with trash from the space station.
The
undocking of the Progress ship cleared the way for the arrival of the Soyuz
spacecraft carrying the Expedition 17 crew, including a second-generation
cosmonaut and the first South Korean astronaut. The Soyuz returns
to Earth early tomorrow morning with members of the Expedition 16 crew and South
Korean So-yeon Yi, who is only the second Asian woman to fly in space.
— NASA and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: NASA
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