The first automatic cargo ship is launched. Progress. What is the Progress spacecraft? How it works

The Progress MS-10 cargo ship successfully docked to the International Space Station (ISS) after a two-day flight.

Docking of the Progress MS-10 cargo ship with orbital station occurred automatically at 22:29 Moscow time, the ship moored to the Zvezda service module.

Transport delivered to International space station more than two tons of cargo. This includes air, fuel, scientific equipment, and personal belongings of astronauts.


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  • On February 13, 2018, from launcher 6 of site 31 of the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with a transport cargo ship"Progress MS-08". Purpose of the flight: delivery on board the International Space Station of fuel, food, water and other cargo necessary for the operation of the station in manned mode.

    On February 15, 2018 at 13:43 Moscow time, the Progress MS-08 transport cargo ship docked with the International Space Station. The rendezvous and docking operations of the TGC with the Russian service module “Zvezda” took place in automatic mode under the supervision of specialists from the Main Operational Flight Control Group of the Russian Segment of the ISS at the TsNIIMash Flight Control Center, as well as Russian cosmonauts on the ISS Alexander MISURKIN and Anton SHKAPLEROV.


  • Transport cargo ship(TGK) Progress MS-07 On October 16, 2017 at 14:04 Moscow time, successfully docked to the International Space Station (ISS). The ship was docked at the Pirs docking port.

    The rapprochement of the transport ship with the ISS took place over a two-day schedule. The docking was carried out automatically under the supervision of specialists from the Main Operational Flight Control Group of the Russian segment of the ISS at the Mission Control Center (MCC) and Russian cosmonauts Sergei RYAZANSKY and Alexander MISURKIN.

    The launch of the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Progress MS-07 transport cargo ship (TCS) took place on October 14, 2017 at 11:46:53 Moscow time from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

    TGC Progress MS-07 delivered about two and a half tons of various cargo to the International Space Station, including fuel, air, equipment to maintain the station in working condition, parcels and means to support the life of crew members.


  • Flight tests of the modernized transport cargo ship (TCS) "Progress MS" were successfully completed. Ship testing new series were carried out during the flights of the TGC Progress MS and Progress MS-02, as well as the flight of the TGC Progress MS-03 as qualifying tests. The flight test program has been completed in full. Based on the results of the test program, a corresponding order was signed at the beginning of August 2017.

    The Progress MS transport cargo ship was created by RSC Energia PJSC named after S.P. Korolev" and is the result of a deep modernization of the Progress M ship. The ship is equipped with a satellite navigation system, a new command and telemetry system, capable of operating in the control loop through a multifunctional space system relay "Luch", a modified on-board radio rendezvous system "Kurs-NA" and digital control units for the berthing and orientation of the transport ship.


  • The ship ended its flight on Friday, RIA Novosti reports.

    According to calculated data, the ship entered dense layers of the atmosphere, where the structure was destroyed, the report says.

    The fragments then fell into the water.

    previously reported:

    Progress MS-05 was launched on the last Soyuz-U rocket in history. The ship, which docked with the Pirs module of the ISS on February 24, replenished some of the equipment lost in the accident of the previous truck.

  • The Progress MS-06 space cargo ship docks with the International Space Station.

    Approaching the ship to the station and mooring to the docking port service module The “Zvezda” of the Russian segment of the ISS took place in automatic mode under the control of MCC specialists and cosmonaut Fedor Yurchikhin.

    Progress MS-06 delivered about 2.5 tons of cargo to the ISS: fuel in KDU tanks and refueling systems, water, compressed gases, as well as equipment for complex scientific experiments, including the Tanyusha-YUGZU and Sphere nanosatellites. 53", TNS-O No. 2.

    The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Progress MS-06 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on June 14 at 12:20 Moscow time. This is the second Russian “truck” to travel to the ISS this year. The previous one launched on February 22, 2017, the next one should go into space on October 12. It is planned that Progress MS-06 will be part of the ISS until early December, after which it will be sunk in the Pacific Ocean.


  • photograph of the mooring space truck" #ProgressMS05 from cosmonaut Andrei Borisenko

    The Progress MS-05 cargo spacecraft docked to the ISS in automatic mode.

    “The docking of the spacecraft went smoothly,” the Mission Control Center said.

    Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Oleg Novitsky controlled the rendezvous process and were ready to take control if necessary. After checking the tightness of the docking and equalizing the pressure between the ship and the station Russian cosmonauts will begin to unload it.

    The Soyuz-U launch vehicle successfully launched on February 22, 2017 at 08:58 Moscow time from pad No. 1 (“Gagarin launch”) of the Baikonur Cosmodrome and safely launched the Progress MS-05 space cargo vehicle into the desired orbit. After a two-day autonomous flight, on February 24 at 11.43 Moscow time, the ship docked with the International Space Station.


  • On July 19 at 03:20 Moscow time, the Progress MS-03 transport cargo ship (TCS) successfully docked to the Pirs compartment of the International Space Station (ISS).

    The rapprochement of the transport ship with the ISS took place over a two-day schedule. The docking was carried out automatically under the control of specialists from the Main Operational Flight Control Group of the Russian Segment of the ISS at the Flight Control Center and Russian members ISS crew.

  • Space exploration and penetration into its space is an eternal goal scientific and technical progress and a completely logical stage of progress. The era, which is commonly called the space era, was opened on October 4, 1957, at the time of the launch of the first artificial satellite Soviet Union. Just three years later, Yuri Gagarin looked at the Earth through the window. Since then, human development has been happening exponentially. People's interest in everything cosmic is growing. And the Progress family of space “trucks” is no exception.

    Deliver the goods

    The stations in Salyut orbit were not in operation for long. And the reasons for this were the need to deliver fuel, life support elements, consumables and repair equipment in case of breakdowns. For the third generation of Salyuts, it was decided to include a cargo element, later called cargo, in the Soyuz manned spacecraft project. spacecraft"Progress". The permanent developer of the entire Progress family remains today the Energia rocket and space corporation named after Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, located in the city of Korolev, in the Moscow region.

    Story

    The development of the project was carried out under the code 7K-TG since 1973. On the base manned spacecraft of the Soyuz type, it was decided to design an automatic transport spacecraft that would deliver up to 2.5 tons of cargo to the orbital station. The Progress cargo spacecraft went on a test launch in 1966, and in next year- in manned. The tests were successful and met the hopes of the designers. The first series of Progress cargo ships remained in operation until 1990. A total of 43 spacecraft took off, including a failed launch called Cosmos 1669. Further modifications of the ship were developed. The Progress M cargo spacecraft carried out 67 takeoffs during 1989-2009. From 2000 to 2004, Progress M-1 made 11 takeoffs. A cargo ship Progress M-M"was launched 29 times before 2015. The latest modification of Progress MS is still relevant today.

    How it all happens

    The Progress cargo ship is an automatic unmanned vehicle that is launched into orbit, then turns on its engines and approaches. After 48 hours, it must dock and unload. After that, it contains what is no longer needed at the station: garbage, used equipment, waste. From this moment on, it is already an object littering the near-Earth space. It is undocked, with the help of engines it moves away from the station, slows down, enters the Earth's atmosphere, where the Progress cargo ship burns up. This happens in given point over the Pacific Ocean.

    How it works

    All modifications of the Progress cargo ship are generally arranged in the same way. Differences in the filling and specific supporting systems are understandable only to specialists and are not the topic of the article. In the structure of any modification there are several significantly different compartments:

    • cargo;
    • refueling;
    • instrument.

    The cargo compartment is sealed and has a docking unit. Its purpose is to deliver cargo. The refueling compartment is not sealed. It contains toxic fuel and it is the leakage that protects the station in the event of a leak. The aggregate or instrument compartment allows you to control the ship.

    The very first

    The Progress 1 cargo spacecraft soared into space in 1978. Checking the operation of control systems, rendezvous and docking equipment showed the possibility of rendezvous with the station. It docked with the Salyut 6 orbital station on January 22. The work of the spacecraft was supervised and the process was supervised by cosmonauts Georgy Grechko and Yuri Romanenko.

    Most recent

    The latest modification, Progress MS, has a number of significant differences that improve the functionality and reliability of the cargo ship. In addition, it is equipped with more powerful meteorite protection and space debris, has redundant electric motors in the docking apparatus. It is equipped with a modern command and telemetry system “Luch”, which supports communication at any point in orbit. Launches are carried out using Soyuz launch vehicles from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

    Disaster of the Progress MS-4 ship

    On New Year's Eve, December 1, 2016, the Soyuz-U launch vehicle launched from Baikonur, carrying the Progress MS-4 cargo ship into orbit. He carried the astronauts New Year's gifts, a Lada-2 greenhouse, spacesuits for working in outer space"Orlan-ISS" and other cargo with a total weight of 2.5 tons for the astronauts of the International Space Station. But 232 seconds into the flight the ship disappeared. Later it turned out that the rocket exploded and the ship did not reach orbit. The wreckage of the ship fell in the mountainous and deserted territory of the Republic of Tyva. Various reasons have been proposed for the crash.

    "Progress MS-5"

    This disaster did not affect further space work. On February 24, 2017, the Progress MS-5 cargo ship entered orbit, carrying some of the equipment that was lost in the previous disaster. And on July 21, it was disconnected from and safely flooded in that part Pacific Ocean, which is called the “spaceship graveyard.”

    Future plans

    The Energia Rocket and Space Corporation announced its plans to create a reusable manned transport ship "Federation", which will replace unmanned progress. The new “truck” will have more load-carrying capacity and will have more advanced on-board and navigation systems. But the most important thing is that he will be able to return to Earth.

    TASS-DOSSIER /Inna Klimacheva/. On December 1, 2016, the Soyuz-U launch vehicle was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which launched the fourth automatic spacecraft of the new Progress MS modification into orbit.

    The ship must deliver about 2.5 tons of various cargo to the ISS.

    Progress MS is a Russian automatic transport spacecraft. It is part of the Progress family of cargo spacecraft (first launched in 1978), which were created specifically to service orbital stations. Used to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), as well as to adjust its orbit.

    Project history

    The Progress cargo vehicles were developed on the basis of the Soyuz-type manned spacecraft (the first test launch took place in 1966, the first manned one in 1967).
    The "Progress" of the first series was in operation until 1990. 43 launches were carried out (including July 19, 1985 under the name "Cosmos-1669").
    Subsequently, modifications were developed: “Progress M” (first launch - August 23, 1989; operated in 1989-2009; 67 launches were carried out); "Progress M1" (February 1, 2000; 2000-2004; 11 launches); "Progress M-M" (November 26, 2008; 2008-2015; 29 launches).

    The developer and manufacturer of the new modification "Progress MS" is the Rocket and Space Corporation "Energia" named after. S.P. Korolev (Rocket and Space Corporation Energia; Korolev, Moscow region). Draft design of the ship, developed on the instructions of the Federal space agency(now the Roscosmos state corporation), was approved at a meeting of the scientific and technical council of RSC Energia in August 2011. Progress MS was created as a result of a deep modernization of the Progress M spacecraft.

    A number of changes have been made to the Progress MS design that increase its functionality and reliability. It is equipped with additional protection against space debris and micrometeorites (on cargo compartment), backup electric motors as part of the docking mechanism.

    Onboard command radio system Kvant-V has been replaced by a unified command and telemetry system that can receive signals from the Earth through Luch-5 relay satellites (in December 2015, the Luch system, consisting of three satellites, was put into operation). This allows you to maintain contact with Progress MS at any point in orbit, and not just over the territory of Russia, where the ground stations communications.

    Instead of radio orbit monitoring equipment, an autonomous satellite navigation system (ASN) is installed, which is compatible with GLONASS and GPS, as well as with the international satellite search and rescue system Cospas-Sarsat. Using ASN, it is possible to determine the parameters of the ship's orbit with an accuracy of up to 5 m, the coordinates when the ship approaches the station - up to 1 m (in the future it will be increased to 3-4 cm).

    The system for docking and rendezvous with the ISS has been improved. The Research Institute of Precision Instruments (Moscow) replaced its own Kurs-A system with the modernized Kurs-NA (NA - “new active”). It provides autonomous rendezvous and docking of the ship with the station; the Kurs-NA system uses modern methods digital signal processing. In addition, it is twice as light and three times more energy efficient than the previous generation equipment. New system tested on the Progress M-M ships: for the first time it was installed on the Progress M-15M in 2012.
    On outer surface The Progress MS hull can accommodate four launch containers, with the help of which it is planned to launch up to 24 ultra-small satellites of the CubeSat standard from orbit.

    Characteristics

    The Progress MS spacecraft has three compartments: a cargo compartment (for stowing dry cargo and water), an instrumentation compartment, and a refueling components compartment (for delivering fuel to the station). Length - 7.2 m, maximum diameter - 2.72 m, launch weight - about 7.3 tons. It can take a payload weighing about 2.6 tons.

    Docking with the station takes place automatically; in case of emergency situations, manual docking is possible using the teleoperator control mode (TORU). After completing the flight program, the ship is deorbited and ceases to exist in the Pacific Ocean - its non-navigable southern part, near Christmas Island.

    Launches

    Launches are carried out from the Baikonur Cosmodrome using Soyuz-type launch vehicles (manufactured by the Progress Rocket and Space Center, Samara). A total of three launches of the ship took place - all successful.
    The first Progress MS was launched into orbit on December 21, 2015 by a Soyuz-2.1a rocket. It delivered more than 2.4 tons of cargo to the ISS. The approach to the station took place not according to a six-hour, but according to a two-day flight pattern. This is due to the need to test a complex of new and modernized onboard ship systems in autonomous flight. On December 23, Progress MS-01 docked to the ISS in automatic mode.

    On July 1, 2016, the ship was undocked from the station and moved to a distance of about 200 m, then docked again, but not in automatic mode, but using the improved TORU remote manual control system for testing. On July 3, 2016, after undocking from the ISS, the ship was deorbited and sunk in the Pacific Ocean.

    On March 31, 2016, also with the help of Soyuz-2.1a, Progress MS-02 was launched with 2.5 tons of various cargo for the ISS. The ship again flew to the station on a two-day flight pattern. It was part of the ISS from April 2, and on October 14, 2016 it was undocked from the station, deorbited and flooded.
    The third Progress MS-03 spacecraft was launched into orbit on July 17, 2016 by a Soyuz-U rocket. Two days later, on July 19, it was docked to the ISS. Delivered more than 2.4 tons of cargo to the station: fuel, oxygen, equipment, food and parcels for crew members.

    Perspective

    By the end of 2016, RSC Energia plans to complete the preliminary design of an automatic ship with increased payload capacity that will serve the ISS. The new “truck” will use on-board systems and constructive solutions, used on the Progress MS and the Progress M-UM spacecraft (two launches took place in 2001 and 2009 as part of the construction of the ISS).

    Subsequently, based on new technical solutions cargo "Progress MS", as well as a manned new modification "Soyuz MS" (the first launch took place on July 7, 2016) RSC Energia plans to create a reusable manned transport ship"Federation".

    Editor's response

    "Progress" is a series of transport unmanned cargo spacecraft (TGV), launched into orbit using a Soyuz launch vehicle. Developed in the USSR to supply orbital stations. The first Progress rocket entered orbit on January 20, 1978.

    The developer and manufacturer of the Progress family of ships from the 1970s to the present is the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation. The production of ships is carried out at the corporation's head enterprise in Korolev, Moscow Region, and testing and preparation of ships for launch is carried out in the installation and testing building (MIC) of the enterprise at the 254th site of the Baikonur cosmodrome.

    Progress-M27M. Photo: NASA

    Story

    The operational life of the first Salyut orbital stations was limited by many factors, including small reserves of fuel, life support system components and other consumables available on board. Also, in the event of failures, it was necessary to ensure the delivery of repair equipment and instruments into orbit. Therefore, during the development of the third generation orbital station “Salyut”, it was decided to create a cargo ship on the basis of the manned spacecraft (SC) “Soyuz”, later called “Progress”.

    The development of a new spacecraft based on the Soyuz spacecraft under the code 7K-TG began in 1973.

    The Progress had three main compartments: a pressurized cargo compartment with a docking unit, which housed materials and equipment delivered to the station, a refueling components compartment, made unpressurized to protect the station in the event of a toxic fuel leak, and an instrumentation compartment.

    The first cargo ship Progress-1 was launched to the Salyut-6 orbital station on January 20, 1978. After entering orbit and checking the functionality of the onboard systems - the orientation and motion control system, radio equipment for rendezvous and docking, as well as the rendezvous-correcting propulsion system - automatic rendezvous, mooring and docking of the ship with the station began. The progress of the operation was monitored by the Flight Control Center and cosmonauts Yuri Romanenko and Georgy Grechko, who were at the Salyut-6 station. On January 22, the ship was successfully docked with the station in automatic mode.

    The “Progress” of the first series was in operation until 1990. 43 launches were carried out.

    Technical characteristics of TGC "Progress −1" (1978-1990)

    Subsequently, ships of the Progress M modification were developed. The first launch of the Progress M1 TGK (Progress M 11F615A55) took place on August 23, 1989. Until 2009, 67 launches of this cargo ship were carried out.

    Technical characteristics of TGC "Progress M 1" (1989-2009)

    TGC Progress M1-1 was launched on February 1, 2000; a total of 11 launches were made until 2004.

    Compared to the Progress M TGK, in accordance with the ISS deployment and operation program, this modification of the ship introduced changes to the layout, design, composition of instruments and operating modes of onboard systems. The main goal of the changes is to increase the amount of fuel in total mass cargo delivered to the ISS, which is ensured by installing eight fuel tanks in the refueling component compartment (RTC). In addition, the scope of connections between the TGC and the onboard systems of the Russian segment of the ISS has been significantly expanded in terms of power and command electrical circuits and telemetry.

    In addition, the following changes have been introduced to the traffic control system (TCS):

    New installed software, which implements schemes for safe automatic approach, transition to the mooring area and the mooring itself;
    . dynamic control modes of the orbital station have been implemented;
    . an interface device was introduced that converts information received from the ISS via machine-to-machine interface circuits into relay-type commands, which allowed ISS cosmonauts to launch the TGC engines from the station.

    Technical characteristics of TGC "Progress M 1-1" (2000−2004)

    TGK modifications "Progress M-M" carried out 29 flights into orbit from 2008 to 2015.

    Technical characteristics of Progress M-01M (“Progress M 11F615A60”)

    Payload: approximately 2.5 tons, fuel, food and water, scientific equipment and consumables.

    The main difference from previous series is the new onboard computer complex TsVM-101, which replaced Argon-16 with useful volume RAM(RAM) 2048 bytes on ferrite rings, in use since 1974. The weight of Argon-16 was 65 kg, the weight of the new TsVM-101 machine is 8.5 kg. The analogue telemetry system has been replaced by a digital one.

    Technical characteristics of "Progress M-GKM"

    On the basis of the supply ship, specialized cargo ship-modules (GCM) were created, which delivered docking module No. 1 “Pirs” (Progress M-CO1) to the International Space Station (Russian segment) in 2001 and small research module No. 2 “Poisk” (Progress M-MIM2) in 2009.

    The Soyuz-U space rocket with the Progress M-15M transport cargo ship at the launch complex of the Russian Baikonur cosmodrome. Photo: RIA Novosti / Oleg Urusov

    Technical characteristics of "Progress MS"

    Progress MS was created as a result of a deep modernization of the Progress M ship. The preliminary design of the new cargo ship, developed on the instructions of the Federal Space Agency (now the Roscosmos state corporation), was approved at a meeting of the scientific and technical council of RSC Energia in August 2011.

    A number of changes have been made to the Progress MS design that increase its functionality and reliability. It is equipped with additional protection against space debris and micrometeorites (on the cargo compartment), and redundant electric motors as part of the docking mechanism.

    The onboard command radio system "Kvant-V" was replaced by a unified command and telemetry system, which can receive signals from the Earth through the Luch-5 relay satellites (in December 2015, the Luch system consisting of three satellites was put into operation ). This allows you to maintain communication with the TGC at any point in orbit, and not just over the territory of Russia, where ground communication stations are located.

    Instead of radio orbit monitoring equipment, an autonomous satellite navigation system (ASN) is installed, which is compatible with GLONASS and GPS, as well as with the international satellite search and rescue system Cospas-Sarsat. Using ASN, it is possible to determine the parameters of the ship's orbit with an accuracy of up to 5 m, the coordinates when the ship approaches the station - up to 1 m (in the future it will be increased to 3-4 cm).

    The system for docking and rendezvous with the ISS has also been improved.

    Four launch containers can be installed on the outer surface of the Progress MS body, with the help of which it is planned to launch up to 24 ultra-small satellites from orbit.

    The Progress MS ship has three compartments: a cargo compartment (for storing dry cargo and water), an instrumentation compartment, and a refueling component compartment (for delivering fuel to the station). Length - 7.2 m, maximum diameter - 2.72 m, launch weight - about 7.3 tons. It can take a payload weighing about 2.6 tons.

    Docking with the station takes place automatically; in case of emergency situations, manual docking is possible using the teleoperator control mode (TORU). After completing the flight program, the ship is deorbited and ceases to exist in the Pacific Ocean - its non-navigable southern part, near Christmas Island.

    Launch of TGC "Progress MS"

    Launches are carried out from the Baikonur cosmodrome using Soyuz launch vehicles (manufactured by the Progress Rocket and Space Center, Samara). A total of 4 launches took place, one of which was unsuccessful.

    The first Progress MS was launched into orbit on December 21, 2015 by a Soyuz-2.1a rocket. It delivered more than 2.4 tons of cargo to the ISS. On July 1, 2016, the ship was undocked from the station and moved to a distance of about 200 m, then docked again, but not in automatic mode, but using the improved TORU remote manual control system for testing. On July 3, 2016, after undocking from the ISS, the ship was deorbited and sunk in the Pacific Ocean.

    On March 31, 2016, also with the help of Soyuz-2.1a, Progress MS-02 was launched with 2.5 tons of various cargo for the ISS. The ship again flew to the station on a two-day flight pattern. It was part of the ISS from April 2, and on October 14, 2016 it was undocked from the station, deorbited and flooded.

    The third spacecraft, Progress MS-03, was launched into orbit on July 17, 2016 by a Soyuz-U rocket. Two days later, on July 19, it was docked to the ISS. Delivered more than 2.4 tons of cargo to the station: fuel, oxygen, equipment, food and parcels for crew members.

    On December 1, 2016, the Progress MS-04 TGK was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on a Soyuz-U rocket. Until 382 seconds, the flight of the launch vehicle proceeded normally. After 382 seconds of flight, reception of telemetric information stopped. Standard monitoring equipment did not detect the functioning of the ship in the calculated orbit.



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