30 Years of Progress
Published on Jan 21, 2008 at 8:24 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under space exploration, space station.
Thirty years ago yesterday, January 20, 1978, a Soyuz rocket booster lifted off from the Soviet Union carrying a craft that looked very similar to a Soyuz manned spacecraft. However, this craft had no crew, nor was it designed to ever hold crew members. It could never return to Earth intact. Instead, it was on a one way mission to the Soviet Union’s Salyut 6 space station. This unmanned craft, dubbed Progress 1, carried only supplies for the Salyut 6 crew. This was the first of many unmanned cargo spacecraft in the Progress series. Two days after launch, on January 22, 1978, Progress 1 docked with Salyut 6, carrying supplied for that space station.
Without a doubt, the Progress spacecraft have been important in the manned exploration of space. Well over 100 of these craft have flown. One of the problems with long duration space missions is the consumption of resources (food, water, air, etc). A limiting factor on space missions, thus, would seem to be the amount of supplies that can be carried. However, that assumes that all the supplies have to be launched with the astronauts or cosmonauts. If additional supplies can be delivered to human crews already in space, then the missions can be extended. However, launching additional human crewed vehicles with supplies is very expensive. The Soviet Union decided to supply their early space stations using an unmanned vehicle. The Progress craft was based on existing Soyuz technology. However, unlike the Soyuz, the craft did not separate into components. Progress was also slightly longer. It could carry almost 2500 kilograms of cargo, nearly 1/3 of its mass. Since there was no crew to return to Earth, Progress dispensed with the reentry module in favor of increased cargo capability. The early Progress modules could fly autonomously for three days and stay docked to a space station for a month. During that time, cosmonauts would transfer food, water, and space station supplies from the Progress to the space station. They would also fill the progress with waste materials no longer needed on board. The Progress also carried fuel for the space stations engines (used to keep the space station in the correct orbit). When finished with the Progress, it would be detached and deorbited to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Later versions of the Progress had a reentry module capable of carrying 100-200 kilograms of material back to Earth. The bulk of the craft, though, is disposable.
Early Progress modules flew to Salyut space stations. An upgraded version, with solar panels for power and greater duration, was used with the Mir space station. This upgraded version is still in use, supplying the International Space Station. The Progress modules became invaluable during the time that the Space Shuttle was not flying following the Columbia accident. However, Progress was not designed to support a space station with the needs of the ISS, so that put a damper on station activities and construction until the Shuttle was again able to fly. The European Space Agency is planned to soon launch their own unmanned cargo vehicle, the Automated Transfer Vehicle, which may fly as early as the latter half of February. The Progress is now dated technology, developed to supply the first generation of space stations, not the current version. However, it is really a tribute to the craft that it continues to be valuable and to be used after 30 years of service.
-Astroprof
Image Credit: NASA
Stewie on January 23, 2008 at 6:04 pm: 1
I think it’s good this venerable workhorse gets the recognition it deserves as its function may be utilitarian it’s been indispensable.
Though progress’s successor parom should get a mention as well as COTS vehicles progress has inspired such as arctus and similar vehicles such as those from Andrew’s space.
The spacex dragon is a manned vehicle that can carry cargo and really can only be compared to vehicles like klipper ,orion and the shuttle.
Sorting Out Science » Blog Archive » Carnival of Space, Week 38 — The Adventures of Shorty Barlow, Private Eye on January 24, 2008 at 7:44 am: 2
[…] I headed out the back door of my building and down the alley. Something small and fast scurried across my path — it looked like a cockroach, but was faster than any I’d ever seen. Must be one of those weird Russian mutant space cockroaches my buddy “homeboy” told me about. So it hadn’t been just a bad batch of liquor talking, after all! An odd sort of progress, when you think of it… […]