spacetoday.net: Progress docks with ISS on second attempt

Posted: Mon, Jul 5, 2010, 9:42 AM ET (1342 GMT)
Progress M-06M view of ISS during docking (NASA)

A Progress cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station on Sunday, two days after its originally-scheduled docking was aborted because of a technical problem. The Progress M-06M spacecraft (designated Progress 38 by NASA) docked with the aft port of the Zvezda module at 12:17 pm EDT (1617 GMT) using its automated Kurs system. The Progress was scheduled to dock Friday but the docking was aborted when telemetry between the Progress and station was interrupted; the Progress passed 3 kilometers from the station and drifted farther away until a series of maneuvered by the Progress put it on course for a Sunday docking. Engineers believe the most likely cause for the telemetry loss was interference created by the activation of a TV transmitter on the Progress used to relay video to the station.