[sarex] ISS STATUS REPORT #05-32 - 18 JUNE 2005

["ARTHUR Z. ROWE" <N1ORC@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Submitted by Arthur N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*International Space Station Status Report #05-32*
*8 p.m. CDT, Saturday, June 18, 2005 *
*Expedition 11 Crew*

An unpiloted Russian cargo ship linked up to the International Space 
Station today to deliver more than two tons of food, fuel, oxygen, 
water, supplies and spare parts.

The ISS Progress 18 craft docked to the aft port of the Zvezda Service 
Module at 7:42 p.m. CDT as the Station flew 225 statute miles near 
Beijing, China. Within minutes, hooks and latches between the two ships 
engaged, forming a tight seal. The docking completed a two-day journey 
for the cargo ship since its liftoff Thursday from the Baikonur 
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

As the Progress approached the Station, Expedition 11 Commander Sergei 
Krikalev had to take over manual control of the docking of the Progress 
due to a Russian ground station problem that prevented commands to be 
uplinked to the cargo ship for its final approach for an automated 
docking. Nonetheless, Krikalev executed a flawless linkup. NASA Flight 
Engineer and Science Officer John Phillips took video and still photos 
of the arrival.

The Progress is loaded with 397 pounds of propellant, 242 pounds of 
oxygen and air, 926 pounds of water and more than 3,000 pounds of spare 
parts, life support system components and experiment hardware. In 
addition, the Progress carries 40 new solid-fuel oxygen generating 
canisters as a supplemental source of oxygen, if required. The crew will 
open the Progress hatch later today but will not begin to unload the 
ship’s cargo until Sunday.

Among the items on the Progress is a new digital camera to be used by 
the Expedition 11 crew to capture images of the thermal protection 
system on the Shuttle Discovery during its approach to the Station 
during the STS-114 mission in July. The camera replaces a similar one 
that is no longer operable. The photos are part of the imagery-gathering 
effort to ensure that the Shuttle has no threatening damage to its heat 
shielding.

Information on the crew's activities aboard the Space Station, future 
launch dates, as well as Station sighting opportunities from anywhere on 
the Earth, is available on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov

The next ISS status report will be issued on Friday, June 24, or earlier 
if events warrant.
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