spacetoday.net: Progress launched to ISS

Posted: Thu, Aug 2, 2007, 8:04 PM ET (0004 GMT)
Soyuz launch (Energia file photo)

A Progress cargo spacecraft was launched late Thursday on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. A Soyuz rocket carrying the Progress M-61 spacecraft (called Progress 26 by NASA) lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:34 pm EDT (1734 GMT), placing the spacecraft into orbit nine minutes later. The spacecraft is carrying two and a half tons of food, water, propellant, and other supplies for the ISS. Included in the Progress' payload are two space computers that will serve as backups to existing ISS computers that malfunctioned during a shuttle mission to the station in June. The Progress is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Sunday. An older Progress spacecraft, M-59, undocked from the station Wednesday night to make room for the new spacecraft, burning up in the Earth's atmosphere several hours later.