New Space Freighter Open for Business before Late October Spacewalk

Japanese Astronaut Kimiya Yui
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui works in the Destiny laboratory module on the U.S. side of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV

The hatches were opened today to the new space delivery from Russia’s Progress resupply craft. The Expedition 45 crew also worked on orbital lab maintenance and on science to improve life on Earth and in space.

The Progress 61 space freighter arrived at the International Space Station Thursday evening delivering more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies six hours after its launch from Kazakhstan. The vehicle is docked to the Zvezda service module and ready for two months of cargo transfer activities. Japan’s delivery space ship, the Kounotori HTV-5, finished its five-week stay at the space station Monday morning.

The six station residents were busy throughout the U.S. and Russian segments on a wide variety of activities. Commander Scott Kelly performed high-tech plumbing work as he replaced gear in the Water Processing Assembly. NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren built a custom tool for lubricating the tip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm, which he and Kelly will do on a spacewalk at the end of October. Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui installed a Cubesat deployer, and then worked on plant science.

Cosmonauts Sergey Volkov and Oleg Kononenko opened the Progress hatch and began checking inventory and unloading the cargo craft today. One-Year Crew member Mikhail Kornienko, Kelly’s partner, checked the station’s air quality and worked on Russian life support systems.

8 thoughts on “New Space Freighter Open for Business before Late October Spacewalk”

  1. I think I speak for all Space enthusiasts, we appreciate all of the information from NASA!!! The daily posting of the #ISS Crew accomplishing experiments&assembling tasks for the future is knowledge I feel so privileged to be a part of!!! Thank You

  2. It is really good to read that the Space community is able to carry on beneficial research in spite of all the International pressures that exist. I do hope that this co-operation leads to easing some of the strong disagreements of International Politics. What a wonderful Catalyst. I also do hope that Space X will soon be able to resume it’s role in providing Space Transportation services. I sure am interested in hearing how that adjustment is progressing.
    I wish all sides of the supporters of Space Research the best of luck and success.

    Take care,
    Mr. Ernstuwe H. Koch. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

  3. Hello from Central Texas!
    It is really inspiring to hear what tests and tasks are managed on the Space Station!
    We watch for your flights across our night sky every chance we get! The photos are marvelous!!
    I f you can send an email to all the Folsom grandkids in Texas, we will share it with them and their schools. (4 different schools (Dallas, Teague, Conroe and Buffalo)
    Best wishes, Steve and Ginny Folsom

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