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Soyuz Launches Space Station Docking Compartment

More Information:

A Soyuz U successfully launched Pirs (Docking Compartment 1) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, LC 1, at 23:35 UTC (4:35 p.m. PDT) on September 14. Pirs is being transported to the International Space Station by a Progress M-CO1 cargo spacecraft, designated as Flight ISS-4R. The Progress M-CO1 is a modified cargo spacecraft of the Progress series, carrying the docking compartment instead of propellant or cargo. The modified Progress spacecraft launch configuration consists of the Docking Compartment attached to a Cargo Vehicle Module.

The 3,600 kg (8,000 lbm) Pirs module will be docked to the Earth-facing port on the station’s Russian-built Zvezda crew quarters. The 4.85 m (16 ft) long cylindrical segment will provide an extra docking port for Russian Soyuz crew transport vehicles and Progress cargo carriers. The RSC Energia-built Pirs port will reduce the need to reposition Soyuz vehicles when new Soyuz vehicles arrive at the space station. The Docking Compartment can also serve as an airlock for EVAS, but is only equipped to service Russian space suits.

The Docking Compartment was originally developed as one of the elements of the Mir-2 space station. Docking Compartment 1 is to eventually be replaced with a much larger Universal Docking Module, UDM. Launched by the Proton rocket, the UDM will provide life-support capabilities for as many as six crewmembers onboard the Russian segment of the ISS.

Pirs is expected to dock with ISS in two days at 0105 UTC on September 17 with a cargo of equipment and scientific materials.

Pirs translates from Russian into English as pier.

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September 14, 2001