Progress Docks to ISS after Antenna Glitch

摘要

A Russian unmanned cargo-carrying Progress spacecraft successfully docked with the international space station (ISS) April 26, despite a glitch in the capsule's navigation system.rnAfter its April 24 launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Progress 51 spacecraft failed to deploy one of the two antennas used for the Kurs automated docking system. Russian ground controllers were able to reposition the antenna, allowing the automated docking to go ahead as planned.rnRussian cosmonauts Pavel Vino-gradov and Roman Romanenko kept an eye on Progress as it moved into position.rnAlthough the cosmonauts were prepared to take over docking procedures, the automated system worked and the spacecraft fully docked to the station at 8:34 a.m. EDT while flying 404 kilometers over the border between China and Kazakhstan.