Image Credit: TASS News Agency
On Saturday, the Progress MS-28 cargo spacecraft, launched on Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS). According to the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, the spacecraft attached to the Zvezda module in an automated operation. The docking was closely monitored by flight control specialists on Earth while Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, who were aboard the ISS, oversaw the process.
The Progress MS-28 arrived carrying a substantial 2,621 kilograms of essential supplies for the ISS crew. This includes 950 kilograms of refueling propellant, 420 liters of potable water, and 50 kilograms of compressed nitrogen. Additionally, it transported approximately 1,201 kilograms of various equipment and materials, such as food for the astronauts, clothing, and supplies needed for scientific experiments.
The arrival of Progress MS-28 comes after the departure of its predecessor, Progress MS-26 (87P), which concluded its six-month mission on Monday night. The Progress MS-26 had occupied the Zvezda port before it was deorbited and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere, a routine end-of-mission procedure for Progress vehicles and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus freighters.
The Progress MS-28 mission highlights the ongoing efforts to maintain and supply the ISS, ensuring that astronauts aboard the station have the necessary resources for their extended stay. The ISS continues to rely on a combination of resupply missions, including reusable spacecraft like SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which can return to Earth via parachute-aided splashdowns. The successful docking of Progress MS-28 reinforces the importance of international cooperation and technological advancements in space exploration.