spacetoday.net: Progress launched to ISS

Posted: Sat, Apr 21, 2012, 9:54 AM ET (1354 GMT)
Progress M-15M launch (RSC Energia)

A Soyuz rocket launched a cargo spacecraft to the ISS on Friday as three members of the station's crew prepare to depart. The Soyuz rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:50 am EDT (1250 GMT) Friday and placed the Progress M-15M spacecraft (designated Progress 47 by NASA) into orbit nearly nine minutes later. The Progress, carrying 2.8 tons of food, water, propellant, and other supplies, is scheduled to dock with the station at 10:39 am EDT (1439 GMT) Sunday. An older Progress spacecraft, Progress M-14M, undocked from the station Thursday to make way for the new cargo vehicle. Progress M-15M will be greeted by six crew members, although three of them will soon depart the station. NASA's Dan Burbank and Roscosmos's Anatoly Ivanishin and Anton Shkaplerov will leave the station on the Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft docked to the station on April 27. Three new crewmembers will arrive on the station in mid-May.