A Russian cargo ship that was uncrewed connected with the International Space Station on Friday, Oct. 29, to deliver almost 3 tons of supplies and treats just before Halloween.
Two days after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, into orbit, Progress 79, a supply ship, docked at space station. As they flew 258 miles above Argentina, the two ships met at 9 :31 p.m. ET (131 Oct. 30, GMT).
"It doesn’t get any smoother than this," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias stated during live commentary about the docking. From Baikonur's launch pad to the International Space Station docking, it was a flawless experience.
Related: Russia's Progress Cargo Ships Work (infographic).
During orbital docking operations on Oct. 29, 2021, the Progress 79 cargo ship approaches Zvezda space module of the International Space Station. NASA TV image credit
Navias reported that the Progress cargo ship was carrying 5,623 lb (2,550 kg) of supplies for seven Expedition 66 crew members currently on board the International Space Station. This load is likely to include some delicious treats such as fruit and vegetables since every Progress cargo ship delivers fresh food.
According to Navias, Progress 79's cargo contains 3,351 lbs (1,520kg) of dry goods, 1,212 lbs (550 kg), of rocket propellant and 926 lb (420 kg). It also includes 926 lb (420 kg), water, 106 lb (48 kg), and 28 lb (13 kg), of nitrogen.
Progress 79 arrives during a busy weekend in the life of the crew on board the space station.
SpaceX, a commercial company, will send four astronauts to NASA's Station on Sunday, Oct. 31. Liftoff will take place at 2:21 AM EDT (621 GMT) from Pad 39A, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX's Crew-3 mission launches NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn, Kayla Baron, and Matthias Maurer, an astronaut from the European Space Agency, to the space station for a six-month expedition.
Tariq Malik can be reached at tmalik@space.com, or on Twitter @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom on Facebook and Instagram.
