The Russian cargo vessel Progress 54 has succeeded in delivering a fresh cargo of supplies in record time to astronauts working in the International Space Station (ISS). The unmanned spacecraft was able to complete its delivery in 6 hours, or less than the time it takes for one to travel from New York to San Francisco.
The docking maneuver was completed at 5:22 p.m. EST, a mere six hours after it was launched into space. The docking procedure was executed 261 miles above the Earth, delivering 2.8 tons of supplies and equipment for use on the ISS.
The Progress 54 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan using a Soyuz rocket to start its express delivery trip. The Progress series of unmanned vehicles has been doing these quick delivery trips for almost 2 years now, supplying the various missions aboard the ISS.
The crew of Expedition 38 eagerly awaited the latest delivery for a variety of reasons. Astronauts often look forward to these resupply missions because they can enjoy treats such as fresh fruits which are, for obvious reasons, rare in space.
Aside from fresh fruits, the Progress 54 also carried a variety of cargo including a live shipment of goldfishes, mosquito larvae and flatworms. These organisms will be used in a number of research experiments that will be conducted onboard. One of these experiments involves studying the effects of extended space travel in organisms such as goldfish. The astronauts will be checking for symptoms like bone loss and atrophy, which are often caused by long term exposure to microgravity.
The Progress series of spacecraft is specifically designed for supply trips like this. They were originally built by the Soviet Union back in the 80's but newer variants of the spacecraft are still in use today. After a resupply mission is completed, the Progress 54 will disengage with the ISS and start its atmospheric re-entry, burning up in the process. Before the Progress 54 docked with the station, the crew had to disengage the Progress 52, which was docked there due to an earlier resupply mission. The Progress 52 disintegrated shortly after it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.
Currently, the Progress 54 is still docked with the ISS via the station's Pirs docking compartment. This docking compartment is convenient for supply missions due to the fact that it faces the Earth.
