Progress 96 Cargo Ship Launches to ISS

This unpiloted cargo craft carries 2.8 tons of crucial food, fuel, and other supplies for the Expedition 75 crew currently aboard the International Space Station.

Following liftoff, the Progress 96 will separate from the Soyuz 2.1 B booster's third or upper stage at nine minutes and 11 seconds into flight.

Shortly after separation, its solar arrays and navigational antennas will deploy, commencing a three-day rendezvous sequence spanning 49 Earth orbits, with docking to the International Space Station scheduled for Saturday at 9:46 a.m. Eastern Time.

The launch's exact timing ensures the Baikonur launch pad aligns perfectly with the orbital plane of the International Space Station, which orbits at an altitude of 260 miles with an inclination of 51.6 degrees.

Expedition 75 commander Jessica Meir manages a crew including Hathaway, Adeno, and Fadeyev, who are currently weeks away from returning to Earth aboard SpaceX Crew-12.

Meanwhile, Menon, Dubrov, and Kikina will remain on the station as preparations for the arrival of Crew-13 are actively underway.

One minute and 57 seconds after launch, the Soyuz booster initiates first stage separation and jettisons the strap-on boosters that surround the core vehicle.

Subsequently, the second stage will shut down at four minutes and 36 seconds, followed by the jettison of the launch shroud, which exposes the Progress spacecraft to the space environment.

Approximately 3.5 hours after launch, the Progress engine will perform its first delta velocity (DV) burn, initiating mid-course corrections.

These burns are essential to raise the Progress's altitude, ultimately matching that of the International Space Station, with the rendezvous sequence concluding upon docking at the Poisk module.

Cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina are assigned to the Toru station, which functions as the robotically operated rendezvous system workstation on the ISS.

In the unlikely event of an automated docking system failure, they are prepared to take manual control of the Progress spacecraft to ensure its safe berthing at the Poisk module on the Russian segment of the ISS.

After the Russian State Commission granted final approval for fueling, ground teams initiated a stable replenish mode at Pad 6, Site 31 to ensure a precise propellant load for the initial flight phase.

Maintaining a stable replenish mode is critical to ensure the correct fuel load for the initial flight phase, a process that continues until just before liftoff.

The launch sequence further involves the sequential retraction of two umbilical towers, which supply the rocket with power and data until the final moments before ignition.

At liftoff, the Soyuz booster will arc northeast from the Baikonur launch site, aiming for an orbit inclined 51.6 degrees relative to the equator.

The nine-minute and 11-second flight is designed to reach a preliminary orbit, with the third stage of the Soyuz booster encapsulating the Progress resupply craft during this phase.

Nitrogen purging was then performed to clean the fuel and oxidizer lines, fireproofing the engine base ahead of ignition, while tank pressurization optimized fuel flow and provided structural support to the rocket.

Upon spacecraft separation, control of the Progress 96 will transfer to the Russian Mission Control Center located in Korolyov.

Propelled by a Soyuz 2.1b booster, the vehicle traced a northeast trajectory from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to begin its flight toward the International Space Station at 9:33 a.m. EDT.

Propelled by a Soyuz 2.1b booster, the vehicle followed a trajectory arcing toward the northeast from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Following this event, the vehicle's stability was reported to be excellent as it continued its ascent.

The second stage shutdown and separation occurred at the four-minute, 36-second mark of the flight, at which point the vehicle reached an altitude of 104 miles and was traveling at over 8,700 mph.

With the second stage complete, the third stage engine ignited and is now running, propelling the Progress 96 through the final phase of its ascent to orbit.

Immediately following, commands were issued for the deployment of the solar arrays and navigational antennas, which successfully unfurled, confirming the spacecraft's readiness to begin its independent journey to the ISS, carrying 2.8 tons of vital supplies for the Expedition 75 crew.

Coverage for this automated docking event is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. Eastern time.