The rise has gone off smoothly, according to preliminary information from the Houston center. The station and the Progress cargo craft remained docked together for the purpose. Progress engine were working for their scheduled 175 seconds to get the orbit up to its calculated 354 kilometers above Earth, said our informant.
The rise was initially intended to get the ISS to a trajectory most convenient for Discovery shuttle docking. The Discovery launch was first scheduled for May 22. The NASA has put it off again, however-for July 14 into 31, at the earliest, says Michael Griffin, NASA chief. Extra checks will take six or seven weeks, he explained.
Russia, in its turn, has put off the launch of Progress M-53, another of its cargo craft, from June 10 to 17.
The ship is to make a regular flight to the ISS with food, water, fuel and research gadgetry for its 11th standing crew. A Soyuz rocket was expected to launch it, at the Baikonur space center, June 10, said the informant. He did not explain why the launch was put off for a week, saying only that Russian technologies were not to blame.
Progress M-52 undocking has been put off for June 16, accordingly. Chockfull of ISS garbage and worked-out equipment, the cargo ship will be sunken on Earth.
