November 12, 2009.
RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev - MCC-M,
the city of Korolev, Moscow Region
After a 2-day autonomous flight, Russian transport cargo vehicle "Progress M-MRM2" docked with the International Space Station (ISS).
Rendezvous with the station, its fly-around, station keeping
and berthing are performed in an automated mode. Contact
of the docking unit of the ISS Russian Segment (RS) Service
Module Zvezda transfer compartment took place at 18 hours:
41 minutes: 42 seconds Moscow Time.
As part of unmanned cargo vehicle "Progress M-MRM2" Mini-Research Module №2 (MRM2) "Poisk" was delivered to the station as the fourth ISS RS Module. MRM2 was developed and manufactured at RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev.
Module "Poisk" is designed to conduct scientific-applied research and experiments inside and outside the Module; to be used as an airlock for two crewmembers wearing Orlan pressure suits for extra vehicular activities and as an additional port for docking of Soyuz manned space vehicles and unmanned cargo vehicles Progress with the ISS.
Members of the 21/22 Prime Crew (ISS-21/22) working onboard the station monitored the rendezvous and docking processes. All dynamic operations were performed by mission control specialists under the lead of the Technical Management (with General Designer V.A. Lopota, the President of RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev as the Technical Director).
At Moscow Mission Control Center (MCC-M) the following persons witnessed performance of final approach and docking operations of the space vehicle and the ISS: representatives of the State Commission (Chairman - A.N. Perminov, the Head of Roscosmos), Roscosmos, NASA, ESA, industry-wide allied organization and enterprises, the Corporation managers and experts.
By telemetry data and ISS crew reports, onboard systems of the station and space vehicle operate in normal modes.
For reference:
- In the development of "Poisk" Module maximum efforts were made to use experience in the development and utilization of docking module Pirs and unmanned cargo vehicle Progress M-CO1 as part of the ISS RS, which made it possible to provide continuity of the development. By the results of docking module Pirs operational use as part of the ISS and with due regard for MRM2 purpose, a number of the Module design modifications was implemented.
- "Poisk" Module delivered the cargoes of over 750 kg to the station. They contained the following: containers with food rations; equipment for the ISS RS systems; medical support aids; flight documentation; parcels for crew.
- Mission control and monitoring of the vehicle and station systems state during rendezvous and docking phases were conducted by the Lead Operational Control Team (LOCT) consisting of the specialists from RSC Energia, MCC-M and space industry enterprises. Flight Director is the First Deputy General Designer of RSC Energia V.A. Solovyov.
- ISS RS content: Functional Cargo Block Zarya, Service Module Zvezda, docking compartment-module Pirs, Mini-Research Module "Poisk", manned space vehicles Soyuz TMA-15 and Soyuz TMA-16, cargo space vehicle Progress M-03M. The American Segment content: Modules Unity, Destiny, Harmony, Columbus, Kibo, airlock Quest.
- ISS crew makeup: Russian cosmonauts R. Romanenko, M. Surayev, American astronauts N. Stott and J. Williams, ESA astronaut F. de Winne (ISS Commander) and astronaut R. Tersk from Canadian Space Agency.
- ISS flies in near-earth orbit with a minimum altitude of 338.5 km, maximum altitude of 356.6 km. Its orbital period around the Earth is 91.2 min.
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