Soyuz Launches “Last” Progress to Mir

A Soyuz U successfully launched Progress M1-5 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, LC 1, at 04:28:42 UTC (8:28:42 p.m. PST on January 23) on January 24. Docking is expected in three days, on January 27 at 0830 GMT (9:30 a.m. PST). Unless problems occur which require a human presence to make repairs, this is expected to be the last launch to Mir.

The Progress M-43 spacecraft currently docked to Mir will leave the station within 24 hours of the successful Progress M1-5 launch.. The spacecraft, however, will remain on orbit until Progress M1-5 successfully docks with Mir. The Progress M-43 carries air supplies and food rations, which could be used by an emergency crew, if required.

Progress M1-5 is carrying 2.5 times more fuel than normal for a resupply mission instead of other cargoes like equipment, food and water. The flight will take twice as long as a conventional cargo mission to Mir. The longer trip is designed to conserve the cargo spacecraft's propellant for the deorbiting procedure, which will require a lot of fuel. Instead of using its fuel-thirsty main engine, the Progress M1-5 will use its smaller engines for approach and orientation. The spacecraft will dock to Mir’s Kvant module. The extra propellant will be used to assist in the deorbiting of the Mir space station in early March. The Progress propulsion system and fuel will be used to lower the station out of its orbit to about 80 km (42 nmi) to make a reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

On March 4 and 5, the Progress is planned to fire three pulses to brake the station. The first two pulses will decrease Mir’s speed by 7 meters per second each, while the third one will decrease the station’s speed by 14 meters per second. On March 6, the Progress will generate the final pulse which should decrease Mir’s speed by 17.3 meters per second and cause it to plunge into the Pacific Ocean later that day. Remains of the station are expected to fall in the Pacific Ocean, east of New Zealand.

A Soyuz TM spacecraft is being readied for launch on February 10, with a crew of two, in case the automatic docking between Progress M1-5 and Mir fails. The primary emergency crew consists of Gennady Padalka (mission commander) and Nikolai Budarin (flight engineer). The back up crew is Salizhan Sharipov (mission commander) and Pavel Vinogradov (flight engineer). There is also a reserve crew of Talgat Musabayev (mission commander) and Yuri Baturin (flight engineer). They would only go to Mir if for some reason the first two crews would not be able to fly.

The soon to be fifteen year old station, after a spectacular career, has been plagued by an increasing number of problems.

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