December 26, 2007. S.P. Korolev RSC Energia – MCC-M,
Korolev, Moscow region
Russian logistics spacecraft Progress M-62, after three days in free flight, docked with the International Space Station (ISS).
Proximity operations, final approach maneuvers and docking were performed in automatic mode. Initial contact with the docking port of the Pirs docking module-compartment occurred at 11:15 Moscow Time within coverage of Russian ground tracking stations.
The spacecraft delivered to the station more than 2.4 tons of cargo, consisting of supplies of oxygen, propellant, food, including natural form food, scientific equipment and hardware for the systems on the ISS Russian segment. Intended for the US orbital segment are 385 kg of cargo which include food and clothing.
ISS flies in low Earth orbit with minimum altitude of 335.1 km, and maximum altitude of 353.3 km. Its orbital period is 91.1 min.
The mission control and the monitoring of the spacecraft systems status during rendezvous and docking were provided by the Lead Operations Control Team (LOCT), consisting of specialists from S.P.Korolev RSC Energia, Mission Control Center near Moscow, and other organizations in the industry (the Technical Manager is RSC Energia President and General Designer V.A.Lopota, the Flight Director is the First Deputy General Designer of RSC Energia V.A.Soloviev).
Present at MCC-M during the final operations of the spacecraft rendezvous and docking with ISS were: representatives of the State Commission (the Chairman is the head of Roscosmos A,N.Perminov), representatives of Roscosmos, governmental organizations, subcontractor companies and organizations in the industry, managers and specialists of the Corporation.
Mission operations at this stage were controlled by LOCT in cooperation with specialists of the US Mission Control Center, Houston.
The spacecraft flight around the station and docking with it were observed by representatives from NASA and Japanese space agency.
According to telemetry data and reports from the crew of the ISS Expedition 16, the on-board systems of the space station and spacecraft operate normally.
ISS-16 crew, consisting of Peggy Whitson (NASA astronaut, crew Commander), Yuri Malenchenko (cosmonaut-tester of Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Flight Engineer 1) and Daniel Mitio Tani (NASA astronaut, Flight Engineer 2), continue their work under the mission plan.
  
  
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