Progress M-47 Launched to ISS

A Soyuz U successfully launched Progress M-47 (ISS-P10) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, pad LC1 at 12:59 UTC on February 2. The Progress was carrying enough food and supplies to the International Space Station. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the aft port of the Zvezda service module, on the back end of the station at 14:50 UTC February 4.

Expedition 6 was scheduled to be replaced by the three man Expedition 7 crew during a March mission by shuttle Atlantis. Plans to either exchange the crews or simply bring Expedition 6 back to Earth have not been decided. The ISS crew has enough food and supplies to remain on the station through late June. The space station crew was informed of the loss of Columbia and its crew about an hour after the tragedy. 

If ISS is to continue to be staffed during the interim, while the shuttle is grounded, the Russians would be responsible for flying crews and cargo to the station using Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. However, there is currently no reserve of ready Soyuz and Progress spacecraft and it takes two years to build each one.

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