Progress MS-18

Progress MS-18 (Russian: Прогресс МC-18), Russian production No. 447, identified by NASA as Progress 79P, was a Progress spaceflight operated by Roscosmos to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). This was the 170th flight of a Progress spacecraft.

Progress MS-18
Progress MS-18 after undocking
NamesProgress 79P
Mission typeISS resupply
OperatorRoscosmos
COSPAR ID2021-098A
SATCAT no.49379
Websitehttps://www.roscosmos.ru/
Mission duration216 days, 11 hours and 51 minutes
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftProgress MS-18 No. 447
BusProgress MS
ManufacturerKSC Energia
Launch mass7,000 kg (15,000 lb)
Payload mass2,439 kg (5,377 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date28 October 2021, 00:00:32 UTC[1]
RocketSoyuz-2.1a
Launch siteBaikonur, Site 31/6
ContractorProgress Rocket Space Centre
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay date1 June 2022, 11:51 UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.65°
Docking with ISS
Docking portZvezda aft
Docking date30 October 2021, 01:31:19 UTC
Undocking date1 June 2022, 08:03 UTC
Time docked214 days, 6 hours and 32 minutes
Payload
Cargo and LCCS part of MLM Means of Attachment of Large payloads
Mass2,439 kg (5,377 lb) [2]
Pressurised1,509 kg (3,327 lb)
Fuel470 kg (1,040 lb)
Gaseous40 kg (88 lb)
Water420 kg (930 lb)
Progress ISS Resupply
 

History

The Progress MS is an uncrewed freighter based on the Progress-M featuring improved avionics. This improved variant first launched on 21 December 2015. It has the following improvements:[3][4][5][6]

  • New external compartment that enables it to deploy satellites. Each compartment can hold up to four launch containers. First time installed on Progress MS-03.
  • Enhanced redundancy thanks to the addition of a backup system of electrical motors for the docking and sealing mechanism.
  • Improved Micrometeoroid (MMOD) protection with additional panels in the cargo compartment.
  • Luch Russian relay satellites link capabilities enable telemetry and control even when not in direct view of ground radio stations.
  • GNSS autonomous navigation enables real time determination of the status vector and orbital parameters dispensing with the need of ground station orbit determination.
  • Real time relative navigation thanks to direct radio data exchange capabilities with the space station.
  • New digital radio that enables enhanced TV camera view for the docking operations.
  • The Ukrainian Chezara Kvant-V on board radio system and antenna/feeder system has been replaced with a Unified Command Telemetry System (UCTS).
  • Replacement of the Kurs A with Kurs NA digital system.

Launch

On 3 February 2021, Roskosmos approved the updated flight program to the International Space Station for 2021, highlighted with the addition of two permanent modules to the Russian Segment of the outpost. A short tourist visit to the ISS at the end of the year also got the green light.[7]

A Soyuz-2.1a launched Progress MS-18 to the International Space Station from Baikonur Site 31 on 28 October 2021 on a two-day, 36 orbit rendezvous profile.[8][9][10] If the air leak repairs planned for Zvezda's PrK chamber (delivery of sealing patches aboard Progress MS-16 in February 2021) were successful, then 3 hours 20 minutes after the launch Progress MS-18 would have attempted to automatically dock to Zvezda's aft port.[7]

The vehicle docked to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module (SM), on 30 October 2021, at 01:31:19 UTC, and was planned to remain in orbit for 215 days, supporting the Expedition 66 mission aboard the ISS.[11]

Cargo

The Progress MS-18 spacecraft was loaded with 2,439 kg (5,377 lb) of cargo, with 1,509 kg (3,327 lb) of this being dry cargo.[2]

  • Dry cargo: 1,509 kg (3,327 lb)
  • Fuel: 470 kg (1,040 lb)
  • Oxygen: 40 kg (88 lb)
  • Water: 420 kg (930 lb)

Means of attachment of large payloads

It also delivered the LCCS part MLM Means of Attachment of Large payloads to ISS. It is a 4 segment external payload interface called means of attachment of large payloads (Sredstva Krepleniya Krupnogabaritnykh Obyektov, SKKO)[12][13][14] According to plans, once the nadir end of SKKO was soft docked to Nauka and bolted down, the launch locks on SKKO would be released by the spacewalkers to allow it to be unfolded and extended with its joints self locking in the extended position to create a rigid frame. Then the Zenith end of SKKO would be soft docked to Nauka and bolted down. The 3 passive payload adapters and the one active payload adapter (i.e. active remote sensing payload like MIR Priroda's Travers Synthetic Aperture Radar) would then be outfitted. The SKKO was derived from the setup used on the Priroda module.[15] SKKO was launched inside the progress and transferred inside to a temporary storage location inside one of the station modules. It would be taken outside and installed on the aft facing side of Nauka during the VKD-60 spacewalk.[16][17] SCCS part of MLM Means of Attachment of Large payloads was delivered to ISS by Progress MS-21 spacecraft.[18] It was taken outside and installed on the ERA aft facing base point on Nauka during the VKD-55 spacewalk.[19]

Undocking and decay

The Progress MS-18 remained docked at the station until 1 June 2022, when it departed with trash and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere for destruction over the South Pacific Ocean.

See also

References
  1. "Progress MS-17 to make 24 hour long relocation at space station". NASASpaceFlight.com. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  2. "Russian Progress supply ship poised for launch from Baikonur". Spaceflight Now. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  3. Krebs, Gunter (1 December 2015). "Progress-MS 01-19". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  4. "Progress MS-18". NSSDCA. NASA. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. Zak, Anatoly. "Progress-MS". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  6. Blau, Patrick (1 December 2015). "Progress MS Spacecraft". Spaceflight101.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. Zak, Anatoly (9 February 2021). "ISS set for the Russian expansion". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  8. Zak, Anatoly (10 October 2020). "Planned Russian space missions in 2021". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  9. "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  10. "Status - Progress MS-18". NextSpaceflight. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  11. "Russian cargo freighter docks with International Space Station". Spaceflight Now. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  12. "Sredstva Krepleniya Krupnogabaritnykh Obyektov, SKKO".
  13. "The Russian Nauka/Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) General Thread". forum.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  14. "Russia to bump its ISS crew back to three". www.russianspaceweb.com. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  15. Roscosmos. "MLM-U Structure diagram". Everydayastronaut.com.
  16. "VKD-59 spacewalk".
  17. "Nauka module rendering (image)". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  18. "The Russian Nauka/Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) General Thread". forum.nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  19. Pradhan, Chirag [@chiragp87233561] (18 November 2022). "Wait whattttttttt!!!! They installed the Means of attachment of large payloads yesterday!!!!!!!!! @RaffaeleDiPalma t.co/Xfcgwis1KH t.co/cuYEfScs35" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 December 2022 – via Twitter.
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