Article Posted on : - Apr 20, 2011

The Progress freighter.

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia's unmanned cargo supply vehicle Progress M-09M will undock from the International Space Station on Friday to begin earthward journey.

The spaceship will be commanded for departure at 15:38 Moscow time Friday and undock from the Pirs module in three minutes, Federal space agency Roscosmos said.

The freighter will continue its autonomous mission till April 26 to be used for Radar-Progress scientific experiment. It will then take burial in the Pacific Ocean after entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Russia had launched the Progress M-09M spacecraft on January 28 this year to deliver oxygen, fuel, food, water and other scientific equipment to the ISS crew. The spacecraft had docked with the ISS two days later.

Meanwhile, preparations continued for the launch of next space freighter Progress M-10M from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 27.

The spaceship is undergoing final testing at the spaceport after successful prop filling operation which was completed the day before, Roscosmos said Wednesday.

The supply vehicle will deliver about 2.5t of cargo to the orbital station.