A Russian Progress cargo ship took off from Kazakhstan on a Soyuz booster late Sunday, transporting two and a half tons of supplies and equipment that would drive to the International Space Station. Under a gloomy cloudy sky, the launch from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome took place at 23:45 EST (10:45 Monday local time) when the core stage of the Soyuz 2.1a booster and boosters were set on fire.
Eight minutes and 45 seconds after the lift, the rocket’s third phase shut down and fell away, and a few seconds later, the cargo ship’s arrays and antennas unfolded and locked in place as planned.
Roscomos / NASA
If all goes well, the Progress MS-16 / 77P cargo ship will perform an automatic 33-turn meeting with the space station and catch up and close to join the Russian Earth-oriented Pirs module on Wednesday around 01:20.
On board: 5,424 pounds of equipment and supplies, including 3,086 pounds of dry cargo, 1,322 pounds of propellant, 926 pounds of water and 89 pounds of compressed gas.
Later this year, the Progress will be used to pull the Pirs module away from the station, thus paving the way for the attachment of a new Russian laboratory module.