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Russia’s Progress MS-13 space freighter docks to orbital outpost

The docking process was controlled by specialists of the Flight Control Center and the Russian crew on the ISS, according to official data

KOROLYOV /Moscow Region/, December 9. /TASS/. The Progress MS-13 resupply ship launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz-2.1 carrier rocket on December 6 has docked to the International Space Station (ISS), Russia’s Flight Control Center reported on Monday.

"The Progress MS-13 cargo craft docked to the orbital station in the automated mode," the Flight Control Center said.

The space freighter arrived at the Pirs docking module. The docking process was controlled by specialists of the Flight Control Center and the Russian crew on the ISS.

The cargo craft blasted off atop the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket from launch site No. 31 of the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:34 p.m. Moscow time on Friday. The space freighter is carrying 650 kg of propellant, 420 kg of water, 1,360 kg of dry cargo and 50 kg of oxygen in tanks for the International Space Station.

The resupply ship’s cargo compartment is carrying scientific equipment, parts for the life support system, and also containers with foodstuffs, clothing, medicines and personal hygiene items.

The Progress space freighter traveled to the orbital outpost under a three-day scheme. A source in the space industry told TASS in late November that the resupply ship would arrive at the orbital outpost within two days and stay in the stand-by mode for another 24 hours several kilometers from the station because NASA needed a back-up day for the US Dragon cargo craft’s docking.

Roscosmos later confirmed that the docking of the Russian cargo craft had been rescheduled due to the arrival of the US Dragon space freighter. The Dragon arrived at the space station on December 8.

Currently, Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka, NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir, and also astronaut of the European Space Agency Luca Parmitano (Italy) are working on the orbital outpost.