NASA Television to Air Russian Port Module Launch, Docking to Station

The five-ton Prichal docking module and its modified, uncrewed Russian Progress delivery spacecraft are scheduled to launch atop a Soyuz 2.1b booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:06 a.m. EST (6:06 p.m. Baikonur time) on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Live coverage will begin at 7:45 a.m.

After separating from the Soyuz rocket’s upper stage, Progress will transport Prichal for an automated docking with the space station’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module two days later, at 10:26 a.m. Friday, Nov. 26. Coverage of rendezvous and docking will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Prichal, named for the Russian word for port or berth, has five available docking ports to accommodate multiple Russian spacecraft and provide fuel transfer capability to the Nauka module.

To make room for Prichal, the recently relocated, uncrewed Progress 78 cargo craft will undock from Nauka at 6:21 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 25, and follow a path to burn up upon reentry in the Earth’s atmosphere. NASA TV will not cover the Progress 78 undocking or reentry.

The modified Progress transport spacecraft that will guide Prichal to the station will detach from Prichal in late December and burn up during reentry over the Pacific Ocean.

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Stephanie Schierholz