A little while ago the Progress MS-2 spacecraft docked with the International Space Station in the mission also referred to as Progress 63. The Russian space freighter blasted off last Thursday and carries food, water, scientific experiments, propellant and various hardware. This arrival confirms the success for the new version of the Progress spacecraft.

The Progress MS-2 cargo spacecraft regularly docked with the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station using the automatic system that allows the Russian spacecraft a direct berthing. Tomorrow the crew will proceed with the opening of the hatch and the procedures to make the Progress MS-2 an appendix of the Station. At that point, they can begin the unloading process, which should continue for all the week.

The mission of the Progress MS-2 spacecraft is substantially accomplished. In fact it can’t return to Earth so it will be so filled with hardware failed or otherwise become unusable and assorted junk and will disintegrate returning into the atmosphere. This mission epilogue will happen in more than six months, in mid-October 2016, but the exact date depends on various factors.

It’s a very busy time on the International Space Station as far as supplies arrive. A few days ago the American cargo spacecraft Cygnus “Rick Husband” arrived and if everything goes well in a few days the other American space freighter, the Dragon, will arrive too with SpaceX resuming its resupply missions after year last’s mishap.

The success of this mission is important for the Russian space agency Roscosmos because the tests of the Progress MS-1 and Progress MS-2 space cargo ships are used to tune them up and then apply them to the Soyuz spacecraft as well. Those are the ones used for crew transportation so the new versions come into service only after the systems have been adequately tested on cargo ships.

If performance and the tests carried out on the Progress MS-2 cargo spacecraft’s systems are as satisfactory as those on the Progress MS-1, the next personnel launch to the International Space Station, scheduled for June, will take place on the new version of the Soyuz spacecraft.