February 28, 2005. Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The Integrated launch vehicle Soyuz-U/Progress M-52 was launched from Baikonur cosmodrome.
The launch is aimed at delivering necessary cargoes by Progress M-52 transport cargo vehicle to the International Space Station (ISS) to continue its manned operation, support living and working conditions for the crew, re-supply tanks with propellant and gases. Furthermore, during the vehicle flight in the mated configuration the thruster assisted attitude control of the Orbital Complex is planned.
The ILV was launched at 22:09:18 Moscow time.
The vehicle was injected into a near-earth orbit with maximum altitude of 243.6 km, minimum altitude of 193.0 km, period of revolution of 88.57 min and inclination of 51.65°.
All vehicle onboard systems operate normally.
According to the ISS program, the vehicle flight bears a designation of 17P and is implemented to fulfill the Russian obligations under the Project.
This is the 17th flight of Progress cargo vehicles to the International Space Station. The vehicles of this type are developed at RSC Energia, and operated since 1978. At present two modern modified vehicles Progress M and Progress M1 are used for flights.
Progress M-52 carries about 2.4 tones of various cargoes, including propellant, oxygen, air, potable water, foodstuff, equipment and facilities for the station onboard systems, medical equipment, underwear, personal hygiene items and individual protection gear, flight-data files, video and photo materials, parcels for the crew, and structural elements. Payloads for the USOS, hardware and materials for space experiments, including the European Space Agency ENEIDE program, which activities will be performed by the 8th visiting crew scheduled on April 2005.
The vehicle berthing is scheduled on 2 March 2005 at 23:15 to the axial docking port of Russian Service Module Zvezda. Progress M-51, that has been operating as part of the Orbital Complex since 26 December 2004, cleared the docking port on 27 February 2005. During 10 days this vehicle will continue a free flight under the program developed by the Russian specialists, following which it will be de-orbited in the assigned area of the Pacific Ocean.
A decision about ILV Soyuz-U/Progress M-52 launch was taken by the Government Board (co-chairmen: N.F. Moiseev, V.A. Grin’) based on the statement of the Technical Management about the readiness of the Orbital Complex and ground infrastructure components involved in the ISS program implementation.
The vehicle and ISS Russian Segment flight is under control of the Lead Operational Control Team (LOCT) located in the Mission Control Center in Moscow (MCC-M), Korolev, Moscow area (Flight Director is V.A. Soloviev, S.P. Korolev RSC Energia Deputy General Designer, pilot-cosmonaut).
The ISS Orbital Complex operates in orbit with the following parameters: maximum altitude of 377.2 km, minimum altitude of 355.4 km, period of revolution of 91.64 min and inclination of 51.66°.
Based on the telemetry information and reports made by the ISS Expedition 10 crew: Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov (flight engineer) and US astronaut Leroy Chiao (commander), all station onboard systems operate as designed.
The Orbital Complex is ready for docking with the cargo vehicle.