Russian Progress Freighter to Fly to ISS Under Short Scheme for 2d Time - Source

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Progress MS-11 cargo spacecraft will for the second time fly to the International Space Station (ISS) under the three-hour scheme, circling Earth twice, in March 2019, a source in the aerospace industry told Sputnik.

"The launch of the freighter is scheduled for March 28. It will have to orbit Earth twice and dock to the ISS three hours after the lift-off. However, this will be possible only if the ISS orbit is corrected in advance," the source said.

The source recalled that Progress MS-09 spacecraft was for the first time launched to the ISS under the three-hour scheme in July.

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For decades, spaceships with crew and cargo typically flew for about 50 hours before reaching the ISS. In 2013, Russia introduced a six-hour route to the International Space Station, consisting of four orbits.