mir_docks_000203 A Progress spacecraft, carrying critical supplies, docked successfully with the Mir space station early Thursday morning.
The flawless docking with the 14-year-old Russian space station took place at 3:02 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. No malfunctions were detected in any of Progress' systems.
"Isnt that beautiful?" said Oleg Makarov, a Soviet veteran cosmonaut and an employee of RKK Energia that designed and currently operates Mir. "The country is in deep crisis but it keeps flying the station and sending spacecraft to it."
At 10.50 a.m. EST, Progress began its final approach to the station, making contact with Mir 12 minutes later.
Vladimir Solovyov, a Soviet veteran cosmonaut and flight director at the Mission Control Center (TsUP), said the
once ailing Mir is now back in business. "[Mir] can easily last for another 1.5 to two years," Solovyov said.
But Mir is still not out of the woods. Progress was sent to restore Mir's
sinking orbit, but an atmospheric phenomenon outside the station could pose another problem. During high solar activity, Earth's upper atmosphere grows denser. Mir's altitude therefore dips five times faster because of its low orbit.
"The station needs a good boost to continue flying. Its current orbit is between 199 and 202 miles (320 and 325 kilometers). The Progress should be able to lift it up to 225 miles (360 kilometers)."
| The Progress spacecraft delivered the following to Mir: |
| Equipment for onboard systems 13.3 kgEquipment for a gas composition system 10 kgEquipment for a water supply system 176.1 kgFood 162.9 kgGarment, things for personal hygiene and individual protection 143.5 kgOnboard documents 9.9 kgMedical equipment 31.6 kgTools, photo and video equipment, expendable materials 3.4 kgOverall 550.7 kgFuel:Fuel component 481.3 kgOxidizer 897.6 kgAir 116.8 kgOverall 206 |
Meanwhile, RKK Energia President Yuri Semyonov said, "there is only one thing which can currently down Mir
financing." The Russian government allocated 1.2 billion rubles (approximately $43 million) for Mirs operation in 2000, providing that extra-budgetary sources would be available to support the stations flight.
"It is a mockery," said Alexander Serebrov, a Soviet veteran cosmonaut and a former space adviser to President Yeltsin. "Why [are we] talking about state support at all if RKK Energia is encouraged to help itself?"
While Progress flight to Mir is widely perceived by the world space community as an attempt to rescue the Russian space program, it actually paves the way for the successful operation of the
International Space Station (ISS), which will depend largely on the performance of Progress-type re-supply vehicles. "The Progress M 1-1 vehicle has a number of modifications which will make it [better suit] the ISS' requirements," said Solovyov.
Solovyov said the new Progress can deliver more fuel to the ISS: the previous Progress had only four tanks, carrying from 1,488 to 1,543 pounds (650 to 700 kilograms) of fuel, while the new one has eight tanks and can deliver up to 3,307 pounds (1,500 kilograms). Also, the new cargo ship has new software that enables it to perform a softer docking, he said.
"Judge [for] yourself," Solovyov said. "While the previous-type Progress was approaching the station at 0.3 to 0.4 meters (1 to 1.3 feet) per second, the new one does it at 0.1 to 0.15 meters (0.3 to 0.5 feet) per second. So, we are not just keeping our Mir afloat, we are also preparing for [the] ISS operation."
NASA maintains a neutral attitude toward Russian attempts to continue Mirs flight.
"It was nice to see a perfect docking of a new vehicle," said Michael Baker, NASAs director of Human Spaceflight Programs in Moscow and a U.S. astronaut. "From our standpoint, Mir is a completely Russian program and we dont want to intervene in it although NASA has some concern about Russias ability to manufacture enough Progresses to support [the] ISS operation next year."
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