“Union” with an upgraded truck “Progress” was launched to the ISS – Lenta.ru

Launch vehicle “Soyuz-U” with a cargo ship of the new series “Progress MS-03″ was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur cosmodrome. This was reported on Sunday, July 17 Roskosmos

Start the “Union” was held at the estimated time -. At 00:41 MSK, nine minutes later, the ship separated from the third stage. ISS “Progress” to reach in two days. Automatic docking is scheduled for 03.22 MSK July 19, it will follow the Russian cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Anatoly Ivanishin, which if necessary can take it over.

«Progress MS-03″ will deliver to the station more than 2.4 tons of various goods, including fuel, air, oxygen, food, equipment to maintain the operation of the station and parcels for the crew members.

The ships of the new series “Progress MS” differ from previous more protection from space debris and micrometeorites. They are also equipped with redundant electric motors as part of the docking mechanism, a new unified command and telemetry system, convergence system and docking “Kurs-NA”, said RIA Novosti.

July 9 to the ISS docked ship “Union” a new series, . deliver a new crew of Anatoly Ivanishina (Russia), Takuya Onishi (Japan) and Kathleen Rubins (USA)

There are currently delivering cargo to the ISS are four ships: the Russian “Progress”, the Japanese the HTV, and as American Dragon and Cygnus. Dragon in this case is the only one on the ship today, which is able to return cargo to Earth orbit. Deliver people to the ISS are only Russian “Soyuz».