Roscosmos Progress 88 cargo spacecraft docked at the International Space Station
by Mike Heuer
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 1, 2024

NASA's unmanned Progress 88 cargo spacecraft docked successfully at the International Space Station on Saturday morning.

Progress 88 linked up with the ISS at 7:47 a.m. EDT after traveling about two days from its launch point in Kazakhstan to the ISS.

The Progress 88 spacecraft launched atop a Soyuz rocket at 5:43 a.m. EDT Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The cargo spacecraft docked at the ISS's Poisk module's space-facing port, where it will remain for about six months before returning to Earth.

Progress 88 delivered 3 tons of supplies, fuel and food for the Expedition 71 crew aboard the ISS.

After emptying the cargo spacecraft of its goods, the ISS crew will use it as a garbage receptacle for the next six months.

Then the spacecraft returns for an Earth re-entry to dispose of the trash.

NASA has supported the ISS mission that combines science,technology and human innovation to conduct research that can't be done on Earth.

The ISS supports development of a low-Earth economy and NASA's exploratory missions to the Moon and planned human exploration of Mars.

The Progress 88 docking occurred on the same day NASA plans to launch its first crewed flight of the Boeing Starliner from Florida in its final test mission before potential certification for NASA use.

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