Russian Cargo Spacecraft Progress MS-26 Successfully Docks and Departs from International Space Station
A Russian cargo spacecraft, Progress MS-26, has completed its six-month mission at the International Space Station (ISS) and departed from the orbiting laboratory, according to Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos.
The spacecraft undocked from the ISS on Tuesday and began its descent into the Pacific Ocean, where it is expected to sink. Roscosmos announced that the Progress MS-26 cargo ship, which spent six months at the ISS, deorbited, entered the dense layers of the atmosphere, and collapsed.
The spacecraft was launched via a Soyuz-2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on February 15, 2024, and docked with the ISS on February 17. During its mission, Progress MS-26 delivered essential supplies, including water, fuel, medical supplies, clothing, food, and equipment, to the ISS for scientific experiments.
The spacecraft’s propulsion system made six orbital corrections of the ISS, ensuring the station’s stability and maintaining its orbit. Roscosmos expects the remaining non-combustible elements of the spacecraft to fall at 8:49 a.m. Moscow time (5:49 a.m. GMT) in a non-navigational area of the Pacific Ocean.
The successful departure of Progress MS-26 marks the end of its mission, and preparations are underway for the arrival of its successor, Progress MS-28, which is scheduled to dock with the ISS on August 17.
