Soyuz Progress 70P (Progress MS-09) ISS Resupply

Images credit & copyright: Roscosmos.

Launch Alert! Monday, July 09, 2018 at 17:51 EDT (21:51 UTC) a Russian Soyuz 2.1a rocket will deliver a Progress MS cargo ship designated “Progress MS-09” (cataloged as 70P or Progress 70 by NASA) to the International Space Station (ISS) from Site 31, Pad 6 (Site-31/6) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. When it docks to the nadir (Earth facing) port of the Pirs “Pier” docking module in a very quick 3.5 hr. (2 orbits) later, it will deliver roughly 6,063 lb. (2,750 kg) of food, fuel and supplies and will remain at Station until January 2019.

This will be the 159th Progress flight and the 70th to the ISS in its nearly 40 year history.

NOTE: This is actually a pretty significant mission as upon completion, MS-09 will remove the Pirs docking module from Station where it will then be deorbited making it the first permanent segment of Station to be decommissioned. The removal of Pirs will be in the name of progress however as it will likely be replaced by the Russian Nauka “Science” Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) sometime in 2019. The Pirs docking module was launched on September 14, 2001 and docked to the nadir (Earth facing) port of Station’s Zvezda “Star” service module on September 16, 2001.

Roscosmos Progress MS Logistics Spacecraft: The Roscosmos, Progress MS spacecraft is one of only four spacecraft (along with SpaceX’s Dragon, Orbital ATK’s Cygnus & JAXA’s HTV) that can resupply the International Space Station (ISS). Currently only SpaceX’s Dragon can return cargo from Station but Progress can dock to Station without having to be captured and berthed. ESA’s ATV was the only other cargo vehicle that could accomplish this to date.

Progress is an un-crewed, expendable, three-module (forward, fuel & propulsion) spacecraft derived from the crew rated Soyuz spacecraft and is very similar in size and appearance. At 7.23 m (23.7 ft.) tall and 2.72m (8.9 ft.) in diameter, it has a volume of 7.6 m³ (268 ft.³) and a total payload capacity of about 2,722 kg (6,000 lb.). Progress can remain at Station for about six months where is also serves for station-keeping, which is where the orbit of the ISS is raised after atmospheric drag reduces its orbital energy.

Also; it’s important to use the “Progress” designation more than ever as the cargo missions “Progress MS” and the crew rated “Soyuz MS” are both using the MS numbering configuration using the Soyuz & Progress titles to differentiate.

TsSKB-Progress Soyuz 2.1a (Soyuz ST) Rocket:

Height: 46.2 m (152 ft.)

Core Diameter: 2.95 m (9.8 ft.)

Width: 10.3 m (34 ft.)

Stages: 3

Boosters: 4

Total Engines: 6 (5 in the first stage and 1 in the second stage)

Total Thrust (sea level): 839.5 kN (188,720 million lb.)

Mass: 312,000 kg (688,000 lb.)

Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 7,020 kg (15,480 lb.)

Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO): 4,400 kg (9,700 lb.)

Payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO): 3,250 kg. (7,170 lb.)

Payload to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO): 1,440 kg. (3,170 lb.)

Cost: About $60 million per launch

Payload Fairing: Soyuz’s payload fairing is a two-shell protective enclosure 11.4 m (37 f. 5 in.) in length, 4.11 m (13 f. 6 in.) in diameter and protects the spacecraft during launch and the turbulence of ascent before being jettisoned to expose the spacecraft.

Fregat Upper Stage (when in use): The Fregat upper stage is 1.5 m (4 ft. 11 in.) in length with a diameter of 3.35 m (11 ft.). Its single S5.92 engine uses nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) for fuel and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as an oxidizer, delivering 19.85 kN (4,600 lb.) of thrust and a burn time of 1,100 seconds and can be restarted 20 times in flight.

Third Stage (ST-B):

Height: 6.7 m. (22 ft.)

Diameter: 2.66 m (8.8 ft.)

Engine(s): 1 RD-0110

Engine Chambers: 4

Engine Type: Gas generator/Open-cycle

Propellant Feed: Turbopump

Chamber Pressure: 68.2 bar

Fuel Type: Liquid

Fuel: Rocket propellant-1 (RP-1) or highly refined kerosene. Lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen (LH2) but is cheaper, room temperature stable, less explosive and denser. RP-1 is much more powerful than LH2 by volume and much less toxic than other room temperature fuels such as hydrazine (N2H4).

Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.

Single RD-0110 Thrust (vacuum): 298 kN (67 lbf.

Specific Impulse (vacuum): 326 s

Burn Time: 230 s

Restart Ability: No

Reusable: No

Core Stage (1st & 2nd stage): Core stage RD-108A ignites roughly 17 seconds before liftoff to allow the engine’s turbopumps to reach flight speed spin.

Height: 27.8 m. (90 ft.)

Diameter: 2.95 m (9.8 ft.)

Engine(s): 1 RD-108A

Engine Type: Gas generator/Open-cycle

Propellant Feed: Turbopump

Engine Chambers: 4

Chamber Pressure: 55.5 bar

Fuel Type: Liquid

Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.

Single RD-108A Thrust (sea level/vacuum): 792 kN (178,049 lbf.)/990 kN (222,561 lbf.

Specific Impulse (sea level/vacuum): 258 s/321 s

Burn Time: 280 s

Restart Ability: No

Reusable?: No

Boosters (First Stage): Boosters ignite roughly 17 seconds before liftoff to allow the engine’s turbopumps to reach flight speed spin.

Height: 19.6 m. (64 ft.)

Diameter: 2.68 m (8.8 ft.)

Engine(s): Each has 1 RD-107A

Engine Type: Gas generator/Open-cycle

Propellant Feed: Turbopump

Engine Chambers: 4

Chamber Pressure: 61.2 bar

Fuel Type: Liquid

Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.

Single RD-107A Thrust (sea level/vacuum): 838.5 kN (188,502 lbf.)/1,021 kN (229,529 lbf.

Total Thrust (sea level):

Specific Impulse (sea level/vacuum): 263 s/320 s

Burn Time: 120 s

Restart Ability: No

Reusable?: No

Watch Live:

Launch coverage: Monday, July 09 at 17:30 EDT (21:30 UTC).

Rendezvous & Docking coverage: Monday, July 09 at 21:00 EDT (01:00 UTC on July 10).

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