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Russia's Progress spacecraft ready to undock from ISS

RIA Novosti

06/05/2009 10:14 MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Progress M-66 cargo spacecraft will undock on Wednesday from the International Space Station and become a temporary space lab before being "buried" in the Pacific Ocean, Mission Control said.

The space freighter docked with the orbital station on February 13, bringing 2.4 tons of supplies, including oxygen, food, clothes and medical equipment for the ISS crew.

"The command for undocking will be transmitted at 19.15 Moscow time [15.15 GMT] on Wednesday, and the spacecraft will separate from the Pirs docking station in three minutes," a Mission Control official said.

During its ensuing autonomous flight, due to last until May 18, the craft will be used as an orbital laboratory to conduct a series of geophysical experiments under the Plasma-Progress program.

After that it will reenter the atmosphere before plunging into a "spaceship cemetery" in the southern Pacific.

The Progress M-66 is one of the last cargo spacecraft equipped with analog control systems. The next generation of Progress vehicles will be digitally-controlled.