Soyuz mounted atop launch pad to resupply station

Packed with 2.9 tons of cargo, a Progress resupply craft will launch Monday from Kazakhstan and take a deliberate four-day route to the International Space Station to test out upgraded rendezvous systems for use by future Russian vehicles.

The cargo ship's Soyuz rocket rolled out to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at sunrise on Saturday. By mid-morning, the Soyuz launcher and Progress spacecraft were standing vertical on the pad.

Liftoff is set for 2053:06 GMT (3:53:06 p.m. EST; 2:53:06 a.m. Baikonur time). Two minutes later, the Soyuz will empty and jettison its four strap-on boosters. The Soyuz rocket's core engine and upper stage will inject the Progress spacecraft into a preliminary orbit nine minutes after launch.

On-board commands will unfurl the spaceship's two power-generating solar arrays and deploy its communications and navigation antennas moments after separating from the Soyuz upper stage.

The cargo freighter is loaded with 1,763 pounds of propellant, 48 pounds of oxygen, 57 pounds of air, 925 pounds of water and 3,119 pounds of spare parts, experiment hardware and holiday gifts for the space station's six-person crew.

The spacecraft is known as Progress M-21M in Russia's naming system. It marks the 53rd Progress launch to the International Space Station since 2000, earning the mission the name Progress 53P in the space station program.

Most Progress missions reach the station in either six hours or two days, depending on the type of rendezvous profile selected by Russian engineers. But Progress M-21M will not dock until Friday.

On Wednesday, the Progress will fly within one mile of the space station to test new gear on the spacecraft's automated Kurs rendezvous system planned to be added to upgraded Soyuz and Progress vehicles.

After the flyby, the Progress will set up for docking with the space station's Zvezda service module at 2228:14 GMT (5:28:14 p.m. EST) Friday, Nov. 29.

Credit: Energia