International Space Station Status Report #04-47<br />12:30 a.m. CDT, Saturday, August 14, 2004<br />Expedition 9 Crew<br /><br />An unpiloted Russian cargo ship linked up the International Space<br />Station this morning to deliver almost three tons of food, fuel, oxygen,<br />water and supplies to the residents onboard.<br /><br />The ISS Progress 15 craft automatically docked to the aft port of the<br />Zvezda Service Module at 12:01 a.m. CDT (501 GMT) as the spaceship and<br />the Station flew 225 statute miles over central Asia. Within minutes,<br />hooks and latches between the two ships engaged, forming a tight seal.<br /><br />As the Progress moved in for its linkup, Expedition 9 Commander Gennady<br />Padalka was at the controls of a manual docking system in Zvezda, ready<br />to take over the Progress’ final approach in the unlikely event its<br />automated docking system encountered a problem. But the docking was<br />flawless. Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Mike Fincke was<br />nearby, collecting video and still imagery of the arrival of the new<br />cargo craft.<br /><br />The Progress is loaded with 1521 pounds of propellant, 110 pounds of<br />oxygen and air to replenish the Station’s atmosphere, 926 pounds of<br />water and more than 3000 pounds of spare parts, life support system<br />components and experiment hardware.<br /><br />Among the spare parts that arrived at the Station are new pumps for the<br />U.S. spacesuits onboard that experienced cooling problems in early June<br />while being prepared for a spacewalk to repair a failed power<br />controller. The suits are undergoing troubleshooting in the hope they<br />can be placed back into service in the near future.<br /><br />Also on the Progress are clothing articles for the next residents that<br />will occupy the Station. Expedition 10 Commander and NASA Science<br />Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov are scheduled<br />to launch Oct. 9 on the Soyuz TMA-5 vehicle from Baikonur to begin a<br />six-month stay on the complex, replacing Padalka and Fincke.<br /><br />Later today, Padalka and Fincke will open hatches between Zvezda and<br />Progress and will begin to transfer its cargo to the orbital outpost.<br /><br />Information on the crew's activities aboard the Space Station, future<br />launch dates, as well as Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on<br />the Earth, is available on the Internet at:<br /><br />http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/<br /><br />Details on Station science operations can be found on an Internet site<br />administered by the Payload Operations Center at NASA's Marshall Space<br />Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., at:<br /><br />http://scipoc.msfc.nasa.gov/<br /><br />The next ISS status report will be issued on Friday, August 20, or<br />earlier, if events warrant.