MISSION CONTROL, MOSCOW REGION, January 20 (RIA Novosti) - The Progress M-59 cargo spacecraft, carrying fuel, water, food and scientific equipment, has docked with the International Space Station, Russia's Mission Control Center said Saturday. "The cargo ship, launched Thursday to the ISS, docked with the station successfully Saturday in automatic regime," a spokesman said.
The current ISS crew comprises U.S. astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, who began working on the world's sole orbital station September 20, and U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams, who replaced the European Space Agency's German astronaut Thomas Reiter in December 2006 and will stay on board the ISS for another five months.
Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency Nikolai Sevastyanov said Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin will conduct a spacewalk on February 22 to assess the damage caused by a mishap during the docking of a previous cargo spacecraft with the ISS on October 27 when a guiding antenna failed to fold.
"It is necessary to prepare the Progress M-59 for a safe undocking to ensure the success of the next manned launch scheduled for April 9," Sevastyanov said.
The crew will make repairs if necessary, using Russian and American-made special equipment.
The next launch of a Progress cargo spacecraft is planned for May 12, the official said.