25 May 2004 19:23
Russia: Progress space vehicles to be turned into laboratory modules
Korolev (Moscow Region), 25 May: In the future, Progress cargo spacecraft may be used as autonomous laboratory
modules, mission chief of the mission control centre in Moscow Region Vladimir Solovyev told journalists today. He made
the announcement following a successful launch of the Progress M-49 cargo vehicle.
"We can send the vehicle to float freely on a reference orbit, having left a certain amount of fuel in it,
conduct experiments and then redock it to the International Space Station," he said. [passage omitted]
"The Progress M1-11, which was separated from the International Space Station on Monday [24 May], will be used
as a testbed for this supplementary way of using the cargo vehicle," Solovyev said. "If the experiment is
successful, the Progress M-49, launched today, will also be turned into a scientific laboratory. Why should a good thing
go to waste?"
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
