spacetoday.net: Progress docks with ISS in manual mode

Posted: Sat, Nov 30, 2013, 9:49 AM ET (1449 GMT)
Progress M-20M approaching ISS (NASA)

The crew of the International Space Station took control of a Progress cargo spacecraft and docked it manually to the station late Friday after the spacecraft's automated rendezvous system malfunctioned. The Progress M-21M spacecraft, launched Monday from Baikonur, approached the station on a normal automated approach, but entered an unexpected stationkeeping mode 60 meters from the station. ISS cosmonaut Oleg Kotov took control of the spacecraft using a backup teleoperation system called TORU and docked the Progress with the station's Zvezda module at 5:30 pm EST (2230 GMT). The Progress made a flyby of the station on Wednesday to test an upgraded rendezvous system, and no issues were reported with that test. The Progress is carrying about 2.7 metric tons of supplies for the station's six-person crew.