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Progress Docks With MirMoscow (AFP) February 3, 2000 - A Russian supply ship successfully docked to the Mir space station on Thursday, bringing the next manned space mission one step closer to reality, the Interfax news agency said. The supply ship "Progress" was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday and docked with Mir right on schedule at 11:02 a.m. (0802 GMT), flight control center officials told Interfax. Progress also managed to push Mir some 40 to 60 kilometers (25 to 40 miles) further out into space before switching to automatic pilot, flight control officials told the ITAR-TASS news agency. Mir's orbit had fallen to between 310 and 320 kilometres (190 to 200 miles) above earth since being abandoned by its crew in August. That orbit was too low for the next manned mission to Mir, scheduled for March 31 after the Russian government unexpectedly extended the Soviet-era stations lease on life last month. After Progress docked on Thursday, Mir moved into an orbit of between 360 and 380 kilometres (225 to 240 miles). The supply rocket carried two tons of fuel, water, spare parts, food and other equipment necessary for the cosmonauts' stay on Mir. Progress was also equipped with a system to maintain atmospheric pressure inside Mir, which is troubled by an unexplained air leak. The supply ship will prepare Mir for Russia's 28th manned mission during which cosmonauts Sergei Zaletin and Alexander Kaleri will stay on board for up to 45 days. If additional financing is found, the mission could be prolonged until August 2000 and a 29th mission would follow. Russia has been teaming up with Western investors in search of financing needed to keep Mir afloat. Russia's Energia corporation has taken a majority stake in the newly-created MirCorp, set up to attract 200 to 300 million dollars of investment over the next year for the project. Russia's cash-strapped space program had decided to abandon Mir last year because it could not cover its operating costs and at the same time participate in the multi-nation International Space Station project.
SPACE TRAVEL
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