Russia undocked Pirs module from the ISS, on July 29 new Nauka module will take its place.
Pirs module that has been a part of the station for 20 years was undocked from the ISS with the help of Progress MS-16 cargo vehicle and was deorbited in several hours.
This operation enabled to unlock the docking node of Russian ISS segment for the receipt of Nauka multipurpose laboratory module launched in July 21.
Its docking with the ISS is planned for July 29.
Pirs was the first module undocked from the station. At 17.42, Msocow time, Progress with the module entered the atmosphere and was destroyed. At about 17.51 the debris remaining fell in non-navigational region of the Pacific ocean.
The module was launched in 2001. It had been used for EVA performed from the Russian segment (52 EVA in total). Besides Soyuz spacecrafts and Progress cargo vehicles docked to Pirs.
Photo credit: Roscosmos
