Russia launched its 89th cargo craft to fly to the International Space Station on Wednesday (Aug. 14).
The unpiloted Progress MS-28 freighter launched atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russia-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:20 p.m. EDT (0320 GMT and 8:20 local Baikonur time on Aug. 15).
Progress MS-28 (or 89P as NASA refers to it) is packed with nearly three tons of food, scientific equipment and other supplies for the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
It’s slated to arrive at the orbiting lab on Saturday (Aug. 17), docking autonomously with the rear port of the Zvezda service module at 1:56 a.m. EDT (0556 GMT). You can watch that rendezvous here at Space.com when the time comes.
Related: Facts about Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency
That Zvezda port was occupied by the Progress MS-26 (87P) freighter until Monday night (Aug. 12), when it departed the ISS after a six-month stay and headed down to a fiery death in Earth’s atmosphere.
That’s the normal end-of-mission scenario for Progress vehicles, as well as for Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus freighters. The third currently operational robotic ISS resupply craft, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, is reusable, as it can come back to Earth safely for parachute-aided ocean splashdowns.
Progress MS-28 (89P) will join five other vehicles at the ISS when it arrives on Saturday morning.
Currently parked at the orbiting lab are two freighters, Progress MS-27 (88P) and Cygnus NG-21, and three crew-carrying craft: a Russian Soyuz, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour and Boeing’s Starliner, which is conducting its first-ever astronaut flight.
Starliner reached the ISS on June 6 for a planned weeklong stay, but it has remained in orbit as engineers troubleshoot issues with its reaction control system thrusters.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
