The Progress 92 delivers supplies to the International Space Station in July. The Progress 93 launched Thursday on a similar mission. Photo courtesy of NASA
Sept. 11 (UPI) — The unpiloted Progress 93 spacecraft is in orbit and en route to the International Space Station after a successful launch just before noon EDT Thursday from a spaceport in Kazakhstan.
The module will travel for two days prior to an autonomous docking at the ISS, scheduled for just before 1:30 pm EDT Saturday. It is shuttling supplies to crew members aboard the ISS, including three tons of food, fuel and other essentials.
The spacecraft is delivering about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the space station.
The module was launched atop a Russian Soyuz rocket, which jettisoned its side boosters about two minutes into the mission. The primary fuel cell burned for about three minutes before separating from the launch vehicle’s upper stage before the Progress 93 went into orbit.
It is scheduled to stay docked at the ISS for about six months, when it will then leave loaded with astronaut trash, which will burn up, along with the vessel, as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Progress 93 is the latest in a series of such launches. Progress 92 traveled to the ISS in July on a similar cargo carrying and trash removal mission.