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Supply ship blasts off toward Mir
July 5, 1997
Web posted at: 11:23 a.m. EDT (1523 GMT)
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (CNN) -- Russia's Progress M-35 cargo ship blasted off from Baikonur Space Complex in Kazakhstan Saturday, on its way to the Mir space station with supplies for a complex repair mission.
Ten minutes after its launch, Progress was in orbit, scheduled to dock with Mir on Monday. Mission Control director Vladimir Solovyov said the station was ready for the docking.
"The climatic conditions, the humidity conditions, the electricity, that's all up to norm," he said.
Solovyov said a solar panel on the cargo ship did not unfold properly, but that was not a concern.
Progress is loaded with over two tons of supplies, including a new, custom-made hatch that Mir's crew will install on the Spektr module, damaged June 25 when a cargo ship rammed the aging space station. The station has been running on reduced power since the accident.
The supply ship is also carrying half a ton of fuel, more food and water for the crew, and personal supplies, as well as more scientific equipment for a French astronaut scheduled to join Mir in August.
Progress is also carrying 154 pounds of gear and equipment for U.S. astronaut Michael Foale, because nearly all of his belongings are in the sealed-off module.
Repair work is not expected to begin until mid-July to allow the station's crew more time to practice.
Once repairs are under way, Russian commander Vasili Tsibliev, wearing a space suit, will have to enter the depressurized Spektr module and re-connect several cables from the solar panels. The cables must be run back through the new hatch to the Mir's power system.
The process is complex, but Russian scientists say it can be done.
"It's not an easy task," said Vladimir Syromiatnikov, an Energia representative. "Always there is some part of a danger in connection with every spacewalk. But (the cosmonauts) performed it many times."
Monday's docking is a similar procedure to the one that resulted in the June collision, but the two ships will dock automatically instead of manually this time. Scientists say they are keeping their fingers crossed that there is no repeat performance.
Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.
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- Mir crew cleaning house in preparation for spacewalk - June 30, 1997
- Conditions improving aboard Mir - June 29, 1997
- Mir repair may involve 'internal spacewalk' - June 26, 1997
- Debate brews: Should Mir project continue? - June 26, 1997
- Mir -- repair it or abandon it? - June 26, 1997
- Crippled Mir turns to sun for needed solar energy - June 26, 1997
- Mir has 3-man 'lifeboat' ready - June 25, 1997
- Mir's woes raise doubts about U.S.-Russian cooperation - June 25, 1997
- Mir at half power after collision - June 25, 1997
- No plans to abandon Mir - June 25, 1997
- Russian supply ship collides with space station Mir - June 25, 1997
Related sites:
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- NASA Shuttle-Mir Web
information about the Mir Space station is provided by NASA
- Spektr - section of the space station that was hit
- MIR Space Station - Radio Transmit Info
includes information about how to transmit and receive communications with MIR through amateur radio- ISS Phase I - Space Station Mir
contains graphics and specifications of the diferent areas of MIR- Russian Space Agency
homepage of the Russian Space Agency through the NASA site
- Pictures and Movies
contains pictures of MIR and MIR missions as released by the Russian Space AgencyExternal sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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