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Russian Mission Control Center to correct International Space Station’s orbit June 18

The manoeuvre is meant to increase the orbit of the International Space Center for optimal conditions for decking of piloted Soyuz TMA-17 with crew of the new expedition

© EPA/NASA/HANDOUT

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International Space Station: the innovative lab in Earth's orbit

MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. The Mission Control Center (MCC), located in the Moscow region, plans for June 18 manoeuvre to increase the orbit of the International Space Center (ISS) for optimal conditions for decking of piloted Soyuz TMA-17 with crew of the new expedition, which is due to take off Baikonur on July 24.

"The manoeuvre is planned for June 18," MCC told TASS on Monday. "It will be made with use of engines of Progress M-26M, docked to ISS."

Exact parameters of the ISS orbit correction will be published on June 17, MCC added, saying Soyuz TMA-17M would dock ISS six hours after the launch.

Initially, the manoeuvre was planned for early June, before three members of the ISS crew return to the Earth, but later on the correction was scheduled for mid-June.

In May, the attempt to correct the ISS orbit failed as on May 16 the automatic control systems reported the engines of Progress were not ready for the mission. The second attempt, on May 18, was successful, but only half of the engines were used. Later on, MCC tested the other half of the engines, which worked well during a 10-second impulse.

A new piloted Soyuz was supposed to start towards ISS on May 26, but the launch was delayed to July 24 following April’s accident with the Progress cargo ship.

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