Progress Docks With Space Station

Three days after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, an unmanned Russian resupply ship docked safely with the International Space Station at 2:18 a.m. today.

This freighter hauled to the outpost more than 100 pounds of oxygen and air, more than 1,910 pounds of propellant and more than 2,860 pounds of dry cargo ranging from fresh fruit to a new Russian spacesuit.

Guidance systems performed properly, so there was no need for Russian cosmonaut and station flight engineer Yury Lonchakov to manually steer the spacecraft to a docked position, as he did last November.

Progress 32 replaces Progress 31, which departed the station Feb. 5 filled with trash and burned up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Earlier, on Thursday, station commander Mike Fincke thanked people for their concern about the three-person crew's safety after two satellites crashed together Tuesday over Siberia, creating clouds of space debris.

NASA says the threat of debris to the station is "elevated but still very small and within defined acceptable limits."

"We understand that a lot of people around the planet were worried for our health and safety, and we are very touched by that, and we'd like to say thank you," said Fincke. "And we've also been informed that we're quite OK, and we believe that because we're in very good hands."

IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the image above, showing the Progress 32 cargo craft (center) docked to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV.