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History

The Progress-MS is an uncrewed freighter based on the Progress-M featuring improved avionics. This improved variant first launched on 21 December 2015. It has the following improvements:¹²³

• 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 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 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

Progress MS-08 launched on 13 February 2018 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan atop a Soyuz-2.1a rocket, at 08:13:33 UTC.⁴

Docking

Progress MS-08 docked on 15 February 2018 with the aft docking port of the Zvezda module, at 10:38 UTC.⁵⁶

Cargo

The Progress MS-08 spacecraft delivered 2,494 kg of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station. The following is a breakdown of cargo bound for the ISS:⁷⁸

• Dry cargo: 1,390 kg
• Fuel: 890 kg
• Oxygen and Air: 46 kg
• Water: 430 kg

Progress MS-08 also includes two nanosatellites: Tanyusha YuZGU-3 (1998-067PJ) and Tanyusha YuZGU-4 (1998-067PK) (a.k.a. Radioskaf RS-8 and Radioskaf RS-9) with a mass of 2.5 kg, which was developed jointly by RKK Energia and students at the South-Western State University, YuZGU, in the city of Kursk. The satellites will be launched by spacewalking cosmonauts.

Undocking and decay

Undocking on 23 August 2018, at 02:16 UTC. And decay in the atmosphere and its debris entered the Pacific Ocean, on 30 August 2018.

References

1. Krebs, Gunter (1 December 2015). "Progress-MS 01-19". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 16 November 2018. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/progress-ms.htm ↩

2. "Progress MS-08 2018-019A". NSSDCA. NASA. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2018-019A ↩

3. Zak, Anatoly (13 February 2018). "Progress-MS". Russian Space Web. Retrieved 15 February 2018. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms.html ↩

4. Chris Gebhardt; William Graham; Chris Bergin (15 February 2018). "Progress MS-08 docks with ISS". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/02/soyuz-2-1a-progress-ms-08-iss-rendezous/ ↩

5. Chris Gebhardt; William Graham; Chris Bergin (15 February 2018). "Progress MS-08 docks with ISS". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/02/soyuz-2-1a-progress-ms-08-iss-rendezous/ ↩

6. Zak, Anatoly (15 February 2018). "Progress MS-08 arrives at ISS". russianspaceweb.com. Russian Space Web. Retrieved 30 August 2018. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-08.html ↩

7. "Progress MS-08 2018-019A". NSSDCA. NASA. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2018-019A ↩

8. Zak, Anatoly (15 February 2018). "Progress MS-08 arrives at ISS". russianspaceweb.com. Russian Space Web. Retrieved 30 August 2018. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/progress-ms-08.html ↩