NASA Television To Air Space Station Cargo Ship Moves And Test

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Jul 19, 2012, 03:10 ET

WASHINGTON, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA Television will broadcast the move of a Russian cargo spacecraft at the International Space Station and the demonstration of a new docking system beginning Sunday, July 22.

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NASA TV coverage of ISS Progress 47's initial undocking starts at 4 p.m. EDT July 22. Progress 47 will undock at 4:27 p.m.

Russian flight controllers will command the resupply ship to undock from the space station's Pirs compartment in a test of an updated docking system that will be used for both Progress and Soyuz human spacecraft in the future. The new automated rendezvous system, known as Kurs-NA, will use a single antenna, which will allow four others to be removed. The Kurs-NA-enabled Progress and Soyuz spacecraft will have only three antennas, half as many as the current versions. Kurs-NA also will use less power, improve safety and possess updated electronics.

Progress 47 arrived at the station in April. After it was emptied of its cargo, the space station crew filled it with trash for disposal.

NASA TV coverage of the Progress' re-rendezvous and docking will begin at 9:15 p.m. Monday, July 23. The ship will re-dock to the station at 9:57 p.m.

Coverage of Progress 47's final departure from the station begins at 2 p.m. Monday, July 30, with undocking set for 2:11 p.m. It then will be commanded to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up.

The next Russian cargo spacecraft, ISS Progress 48, is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Aug. 1, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka of the Russian Federal Space Agency and his five crewmates, including NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Joe Acaba, will monitor events as the Progress 47 tests unfold.

For NASA TV streaming video, schedule and downlink information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the International Space Station and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA