Progress MS-17

Progress MS-17
Progress MS-17 approaches the ISS
NamesПрогресс МC-17
Progress-78P
Mission typeISS resupply
OperatorRoscosmos
COSPAR ID2021-057A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.48869
Websitehttps://www.roscosmos.ru/
Mission duration149 days
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftProgress MS-17 No.446
Spacecraft typeProgress MS
ManufacturerRSC Energia
Launch mass7,000 kg (15,000 lb)
Payload mass2,439 kg (5,377 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date29 June 2021, 23:27:20 UTC[1][2][3]
RocketSoyuz-2.1a
Launch siteBaikonur, Site 31
ContractorProgress Rocket Space Centre
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay date25 November 2021, 14:34 UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.65°
Docking with ISS
Docking portPoisk zenith
Docking date2 July 2021, 00:59 UTC
Undocking date20 October 2021, 23:42 UTC
Time docked110 days, 22 hours, 43 minutes
Docking with ISS (Relocation)
Docking portNauka nadir
Docking date22 October 2021, 04:21:07 UTC [4]
Undocking date25 November 2021, 11:22 UTC
Time docked34 days and 7 hours
Cargo
Mass2,439 kg (5,377 lb)
Pressurised1,509 kg (3,327 lb)
Fuel470 kg (1,040 lb)
Gaseous40.5 kg (89 lb)
Water420 kg (930 lb)
Progress ISS Resupply
 

Progress MS-17 (Russian: Прогресс МC-17), Russian production No. 446, identified by NASA as Progress 78P, was a Progress spaceflight operated by Roscosmos to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). This was the 169th flight of a Progress spacecraft.

History[edit]

The Progress-MS is an unscrewed freighter based on the Progress-M featuring improved avionics. This improved variant was first launched on 21 December 2015. It has the following improvements:[5][6][7][8]

  • The new external compartment enables it to deploy satellites. Each compartment can hold up to four launch containers. First time installed on Progress MS-03.
  • Enhanced redundancy thanks to the addition of a backup system of electrical motors for the docking and sealing mechanism.
  • Improved Micrometeoroid (MMOD) protection with additional panels in the cargo compartment.
  • Luch Russian relay satellites link capabilities enable telemetry and control even when not in direct view of ground radio stations.
  • GNSS autonomous navigation enables real-time determination of the status vector and orbital parameters dispensing with the need of ground station orbit determination.
  • Real-time relative navigation thanks to direct radio data exchange capabilities with the space station.
  • New digital radio that enables enhanced TV camera view for the docking operations.
  • The Ukrainian Chezara Kvant-V on board radio system and antenna/feeder system has been replaced with a Unified Command Telemetry System (UCTS).
  • Replacement of the KURS-A with KURS-NA digital system.

Launch and first docking[edit]

A Soyuz-2.1a launched the Progress MS-17 to the ISS from Baikonur Site 31 on 29 June 2021.[3] Progress MS-17 automatically docked to Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) of ISS on the Poisk zenith port, on 2 July 2021, where it remained until 21 October 2021 after which it was relocated to another Russian Orbital Segment port, the Nauka nadir.

Background and film project[edit]

On 14 May 2021, the Interagency Committee approved the composition of the ISS main and alternate crews for the period 2021–2023.[9] Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov (commander) and the crew of the film "The Challenge": actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko, will go to the ISS on the Soyuz MS-19. The drama is a joint project of Roscosmos, Channel One and the Yellow, Black and White studio.[10][11] The alternates chosen after passing the medical committee are: New Drama Theater actress Alyona Mordovina, director Alexei Dudin[12] and the commander Oleg Artemyev.[13] Since 24 May 2021, the crew members have been training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.[14] On 23 July 2021, the prime crew participated in a four-hour simulation inside a Soyuz replica while wearing the Sokol suit and on 28 July 2021,[15] the back-up crew completed the same exercise. According to the commander, Oleg Artemyev, the performance of the two back-up Spaceflight Participants was outstanding.[16] On 30 July 2021, the spacecraft had its pre-launch preparation started.[17] On 31 August 2021, the medical committee announced that both the main and reserve crew were healthy for space flight.[18]

The filming equipment was launched by Progress MS-17.[19]

The director and actress returned to Earth on 17 October 2021 on Soyuz MS-18, with commander Oleg Novitskiy. Cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who arrived at the ISS on Soyuz MS-18, will join Shkaplerov on the landing of Soyuz MS-19.[20] Soyuz MS-19 is scheduled to land on 28 March 2022.[21]

Reactions[edit]

The film, which according to Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, is an "experiment to see if Roscosmos can prepare two ordinary people to fly in about 3 or 4 months" has received opposition from the scientific and aerospace communities, as to the fact that they remove trained cosmonauts from their flights, a misuse of public money,[22] or even that using the station's resources for non-scientific purposes would be illegal.[23] Sergei Krikalev, director of crewed programs at Roscosmos, reportedly lost his position by speaking out against the project,[24] but was reinstated after a few days following protests from cosmonauts on and off active duty.[14]

Movie[edit]

Klim Shipenko shot approximately 35–40 minutes of film on the ISS, in addition to serving as director, operator, art director, and makeup artist. Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov appear in the film,[25] with Dubrov and Mark Vande Hei assisting in the production.[26] Shkaplerov appears in some scenes of the movie.[27]

Second docking[edit]

On 3 February 2021, the State Commission for Testing of the Piloted Space Systems, chaired by Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin, approved the latest ISS schedule for 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.[2]

Due to the air leak discovered in the PrK chamber at the aft port of the Zvezda service module, Roscosmos moved the docking destination for the Progress MS-17 cargo ship to the Nauka module. After 110 days, Progress MS-17 was undocked on 20 October 2021, at 23:42 UTC. It spent 29 hours in autonomous flight, waiting for ballistic conditions for docking, and re-docked to the nadir (Earth-facing) port of Nauka on 22 October 2021, at 04:21:07 UTC.[4]

A long relocation was done since the Progress spacecraft cannot do the quick routine relocation as the Soyuz are capable of. Nor can they fly around the ISS, because it is made only to safely operate after the spacecraft had entered a narrow cone-shaped zone extending from the main axis of a destination port that is Nauka nadir in this case. So, Progress spacecraft are allowed to move away from the station before it would naturally be brought back into a close proximity with the station around a day later. This method is cheaper in fuel consumption, but to complete the rendezvous it has to depend on the on navigation signals it gets from GLONASS and GPS satellites and on the KURS-NA rendezvous system for the final approach to its relocated destination.[28]

Expansion of Russian Orbital Segment[edit]

ISS Russian orbital segment after docking of UM Prichal module

This relocation will allow Roscosmos to prepare for the next step in the expansion of the Russian Orbital Segment, this time with the Prichal module. Upon the launch of Prichal (Progress M-UM), launched on 24 November 2021, the Progress MS-17 will be undocked from Nauka's nadir port, carrying with it a special extension on Nauka's docking mechanism, which was custom-designed for cargo ships and crew vehicles. Prichal, though is the second module after Rassvet to use a port initially used by Soyuz or Progress spacecraft, it is not able to dock to SSVP-G ports like Rassvet module. As a result, the Prichal module with its active hybrid docking port will then be able to dock only to the port after its reconfiguration on Nauka on 25 November 2021. This will provide a wider module passageway than was available through the adapter, which will be discarded with Progress MS-17. If everything goes according to the August 2020 plan, Progress MS-17 will log 149 days in space.[29]

Cargo[edit]

The Progress MS-17 spacecraft is loaded with 2,439 kg (5,377 lb) of cargo, with 1,509 kg (3,327 lb) of this being dry cargo.[1]

  • Dry cargo: 1,509 kg (3,327 lb)
  • Fuel: 470 kg (1,040 lb)
  • Oxygen: 40.5 kg (89 lb)
  • Water: 420 kg (930 lb)

Undocking and decay[edit]

Russia's ISS Progress 78 cargo craft is pictured docked to the Nauka. At its departure, the port was reconfigured by it.[a]
Progress MS 17 undocking and Nauka nadir temporary docking adapter Removal from ISS[b]

The Progress MS-17 remained docked at the station until 25 November 2021, when it left with garbage and a docking adapter at the nadir port of Nauka for the arrival of Progress M-UM taking with it the module Prichal, launched on 24 November 2021, Progress MS-17 thus entered in the atmosphere of Earth for its destruction over the South Pacific Ocean.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The port had the temporary docking adapter before the SSVP-M or "Hybrid" standard, consisting of the traditional SSVP-G probe‑and‑drogue soft-dock mechanism and an APAS-95 hard-dock collar before Progress M-UM arrival
  2. ^ temporary docking adapter is the grey ring surrounding the docking probe of Progress MS-17

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Russia successfully launches space station resupply ship". Spaceflight Now. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b Zak, Anatoly (9 February 2021). "ISS set for the Russian expansion". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Launch Schedule - Progress 78P". Spaceflight Now. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Expedition 66 Thread". NASASpaceFlight.com. 22 October 2021. p. 18. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Progress-MS 01-19". Gunter's Space Page. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Progress MS-17". NASA. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ Zak, Anatoly. "Progress-MS". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  8. ^ Blau, Patrick (1 December 2015). "Progress MS Spacecraft". Spaceflight101.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Космонавты готовятся к очередной экспедиции на МКС" (in Russian). ЦПК им. Ю.А.Гагарина. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Актриса и режиссер фильма "Вызов" полетят к МКС 5 октября" (in Russian). TASS. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Экспедиция МКС-65/66. План полёта" (in Russian). Русский космос (журнал). April 2021. p. 17.
  12. ^ "Фильм "Вызов": итоги медкомиссии" (in Russian). Роскосмос. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  13. ^ Носенкова С. (April 2021). "В открытом космосе рекорды не самая хорошая вещь" (in Russian). Русский космос (журнал).
  14. ^ a b "Russian Movie in Space Part 8". 10 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  15. ^ "У основного экипажа МКС-66 начались совместные тренировки" (in Russian). 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  16. ^ "The ISS-66 back-up crew were "launched" to the ISS, for the first time". 29 July 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  17. ^ "На Байконуре началась предполетная подготовка корабля "Союз МС-19"" (in Russian). 30 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Члены экипажей МКС-66 признаны годными к космическому полету" (in Russian). 31 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Equipment for shooting 1st movie in space delivered to ISS by Russian cargo spacecraft". 2 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  20. ^ "На МКС 10 человек" (in Russian). Роскосмос. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  21. ^ "ISS: Expedition 67". spacefacts.de. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  22. ^ "Russian actresses who will compete for trip to ISS identified". 21 March 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Russia looks for actress to steal Tom Cruise space movie thunder". 4 November 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  24. ^ "СМИ: Космонавт Сергей Крикалев лишился должности в "Роскосмосе" после критики идеи съемок на МКС" (in Russian). 13 June 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  25. ^ "Создатели научно-просветительского проекта "Вызов" раскрыли некоторые секреты фильма" (in Russian). 31 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  26. ^ "Russia to switch to year-long expeditions to orbital outpost, says Roscosmos chief". 16 June 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  27. ^ "Soyuz MS-19 | Soyuz 2.1a". Everyday Astronaut. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  28. ^ Zak, Anatoly (9 February 2021). "Progress MS-17 lifts off to prepare Prichal module arrival". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  29. ^ Zak, Anatoly (10 October 2020). "Planned Russian space missions in 2021". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 13 October 2020.