Progress MS-16 (), Russian production No. 445, identified by

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

as Progress 77P, was a

Progress Progress is the movement towards a refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. In the context of progressivism, it refers to the proposition that advancements in technology, science, and social organization have resulted, and by extension w ...

spaceflight operated by

Roscosmos The State Space Corporation "Roscosmos" (russian: Государственная корпорация по космической деятельности «Роскосмос»), commonly known simply as Roscosmos (russian: Роскосмос) ...

to resupply the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA ...

(ISS). This was the 168th flight of a Progress spacecraft.

History

The

Progress-MS The Progress (russian: Прогресс) is a Russian expendable cargo spacecraft. Its purpose is to deliver the supplies needed to sustain a human presence in orbit. While it does not carry a crew, it can be boarded by astronauts when docked t ...

is an uncrewed freighter based on the

Progress-M Progress-M (russian: Прогресс-М, GRAU indices 11F615A55 and 11F615A60), also known as Progress 7K-TGM, is a Russian, previously Soviet spacecraft which is used to resupply space stations. It is a variant of the Progress spacecraft, or ...

featuring improved avionics. This improved variant first launched on 21 December 2015. It has the following improvements: * New external compartment that enables it to deploy satellites. Each compartment can hold up to four launch containers. First time installed on Progress MS-03. * Enhanced redundancy thanks to the addition of a backup system of electrical motors for the docking and sealing mechanism. * Improved Micrometeoroid (MMOD) protection with additional panels in the cargo compartment. * Luch Russian relay satellites link capabilities enable telemetry and control even when not in direct view of ground radio stations. *

GNSS A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pr ...

autonomous navigation enables real time determination of the status vector and orbital parameters dispensing with the need of ground station orbit determination. * Real time relative navigation thanks to direct radio data exchange capabilities with the space station. * New digital radio that enables enhanced TV camera view for the docking operations. * The

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

Chezara Kvant-V on board radio system and antenna/feeder system has been replaced with a Unified Command Telemetry System (UCTS). * Replacement of the Kurs A with Kurs NA digital system.

Launch

Soyuz-2.1a Soyuz-2 ( GRAU index 14A14) is a modernized version of the Soviet Soyuz rocket. In its basic form, it is a three-stage launch vehicle for placing payloads into low Earth orbit. Compared to the previous versions of the Soyuz, the first-stag ...

launched Progress MS-16 to the International Space Station from

Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 Baikonur Site 31, also known as Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, is a launch site used by derivatives of the R-7 Semyorka missile. From 2011 onwards, it was supposed to be the launch site for crewed Soyuz missions to the In ...

on 15 February 2021 following a two-day, 34-orbit rendezvous profile. Progress MS-16 was docked on 17 February 2021, 06:26:47 UTC, using manual docking system operated by

Expedition 64 Expedition 64 was the 64th long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), that began on 21 October 2020 with the undocking and departure of Soyuz MS-16. The Expedition started with the three crew members launched onboard So ...

commander Sergey Ryzhikov to the ''Pirs'' module of the

ISS The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (J ...

, where it remained until 26 July 2021, 10:55 UTC.

Cargo

On 4 February 2021, Roscosmos said that Progress MS-16 had been installed back into its processing stand inside the assembly building at Site 254 for final pre-launch operations and loading of fresh food items in its cargo bay. The ship's cargo included 600 kg of propellant for refueling, 420 kg of drinking water in the Rodnik system, 40.5 kg of pressurized gases with extra nitrogen supplies and 1,400 kg of various equipment and supplies, including the repair kit with reinforced glue patches for temporary sealing of the Transfer Chamber, PrK, in the

Zvezda Service Module ''Zvezda'' (russian: Звезда, meaning "star"), ''Salyut'' DOS-8, also known as the ''Zvezda'' Service Module, is a module of the International Space Station (ISS). It was the third module launched to the station, and provided all of t ...

(SM). The Progress MS-16 spacecraft was loaded with of cargo, with of this being dry cargo. * Dry cargo: * Propellant: * Pressurized Gases: * Drinking Water:

Undocking and decay

The Progress MS-16 was expected to remain docked at the station until 23 July 2021, 12:45 UTC, when it would depart with the ''Pirs'' module docked to it for destructive reentry four hours later over the

South Pacific Ocean South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

, which would also mark the 1st module to be decommissioned from use aboard the international space station. The ''Nauka'' module, which would replace pirs after its fiery reentry and subsequent destruction, was launched on 21 July 2021 at 14:58:25 UTC, for docking on 29 July 2021, at 13:25 UTC. However, due to post-launch telemetry and propulsion issues with ''Nauka'', the undocking of Progress MS-16 was delayed to 26 July 2021, at 10:55 UTC. The spacecraft, together with the ''Pirs'' module, was successfully deorbited on the same day at 14:51 UTC.

Gallery

File:Progress MS-16 docked to the ISS (1).jpg, Progress MS-16 docked to the ISS. The one who undocked Pirs. File:Progress MS-16 docked to the ISS (2) before the removal of Pirs.jpg, Progress MS-16 docked to the ISS before the removal of Pirs File:ISS-65 Pirs docking compartment separates from the Space Station.jpg, ISS-65 Pirs docking compartment separates from the Space Station File:ISS-65 Pirs docking compartment separates from the Space Station.webm, ISS-65 Pirs docking compartment separates from the Space Station

References