Russia Launches A Progress Supply Ship To The International Space Station On Valentine’s Day

A new shipment of supplies is on its way to the International Space Station.

Tonight (February 14), Russia launched its robotic Progress 87 cargo ship toward the International Space Station on a Valentine’s Day delivery mission.

At 10:25 p.m. EST (03:25 GMT and 8:25 a.m. local time on February 15, Baikonur), the freighter launched atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Approximately three tons of food, propellant, and other supplies are being carried by Progress 87.

All going well, the freighter is scheduled to arrive at the orbiting lab early on Saturday, February 17, and dock at 1:12 a.m. EST (0612 GMT) with the Russian Zvezda service module. NASA will stream the meeting live on Space.com; coverage starts on Saturday at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 GMT).

The Cygnus vehicle from Northrop Grumman and the Cargo Dragon capsule from SpaceX are the other two robotic spacecraft that are currently conducting resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS).

When their orbital mission is over, Progress and Cygnus are disposable spacecraft that burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. However, Dragon is made to be reused; it can return science samples to Earth by safely splashing down in the ocean while wearing parachutes.