Progress

Progress M-05M docked with the Pirs module at the ISS

Almost as long has there have been space stations, there has been a need to resupply them. The Russian Progress spacecraft was the first developed for the sole purpose of topping off food, water and fuel supplies for space stations. 

The design was derived from the Soyuz, and it is launched on the same Soyuz rocket. It is not reusable and it does not come back down to earth safely; it burns the atmosphere after use. 

Over 140 Progress missions have resupplied stations from the Salyut 6, Mir and today, the International Space Station.

Progress M-MIM2 brining Poisk to ISS

Progress has been upgraded over the decades to be able to send more cargo up and weigh less for launch. Occasionally, special variants are used to send small modules up to space stations, like the two docking modules currently on the ISS called Pirs and Poisk.

Like Soyuz, it is split into three sections:

• A pressurized forward module for food and equipment.
• A fuel compartment for uppressurized propellant.
• A propulsion module, similar to the Soyuz, for station re-boosting. It is also used to deorbit the spacecraft after it is no longer needed. Though, upon reentry the sections do not separate like the Soyuz.

All Progress flights, except one, have reached their destination. The Soyuz rocket carrying Progress M-12M failed to reach orbit. While it has an unparalleled safety record, one spacecraft collided with Mir in 1997 resulting in one of the modules to depressurize. The crew quickly sealed off that module.

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List of Progress flights

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