MISSION CONTROL (Korolyov), July 19 (RIA Novosti) - The Soyuz capsule unlocked from the Pirs docking compartment at 14:35 p.m. Moscow time to approach the Zarya module.
The Soyuz spacecraft is expected to get about 50 meters away from the international space station. After crew commander Sergei Krikalev holds a communication session via Russian satellites, he will bring the spaceship close to the Zarya module to dock manually.
Russia's flight control center is carrying out this planned operation ahead of schedule to make the Pirs airlock free before astronauts conduct a space walk in August.
Earlier today the "closed hatch" indicator did not come up when the astronauts closed the hatch between the ISS and the capsule. The crew took advice from mission control and resolved the problem.
