A few hours ago the Progress M-28M spacecraft blasted off on a Soyuz U rocket from the Baikonur base in Kazakhstan in a resupply mission to the International Space Station also referred to as Progress 60. Less than ten minutes after the launch, the cargo spaceship regularly separated from the rocket’s upper stage, entered a preliminary orbit and deployed its solar panels and navigation antennas. After recent failures in the launches of cargo spaceships, one hopes that this mission may once again be the routine we had become used to.

The Progress M-28M spacecraft is carrying nearly 2.4 tons (almost 5,300 lbs) of cargo to the International Space Station. They include over 400 kg (almost 900 lbs) of water and more or less the same amount of food. Despite the loss of three cargo spaceships in less than a year, the crew still had about four months of food and water. However, the nations that manage the Station prefer to ensure supplies for at least six months exactly to mitigate the possible effects of mishaps.

According to the investigation results, the failure of the mission of the Progress M-27M spacecraft was due to a problem in its coupling with the Soyuz 2-1A rocket. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, had started alternating the use of this new version of its Soyuz rocket with the old Soyuz U. For the Progress M-28M freighter the use of the old version of the rocket was already scheduled so, after the end of the investigation, it was possible to immediately activate the procedures for this new mission.

The Progress M-28M cargo spacecraft will reach the International Space Station on Sunday, a little after 3 UTC. In recent years, the Progress spacecraft generally followed the fast track that allowed the arrival in just six hours but this time that wasn’t possible.

It’s not a problem related to recent mishaps but to the position of the International Space Station. The fast track requires considerable maneuvering precision but recently the Station was moved to avoid some potentially dangerous debris. The consequence is that the Station’s current position prevents the use of the fast track.

It was preferred to use the trajectory that takes two days to reach the International Space Station rather than move the Station to return it to the position required for the fast track. Given the recent mishaps, the only important thing is that the Progress M-28M arrives whole!