Progress M-28M cargo vehicle to be launched to the ISS on July 3 was sent for general assembling, – Roscosmos reports.
The vehicle is to be orbited not by Soyuz 2.1a booster used for the previous launch that was a failure but tried-and-true Soyuz-U, – Mission Control Centre specifies.
“According to MCC ballistics and navigational support service preliminary data the launch of Soyuz-U booster with Progress M-28M cargo vehicle is scheduled for July 3, 2015, 07.56, Moscow time. The vehicle will separate from the 3rd stage of the booster at 08/05, Moscow time, and dock with the ISS on july 05, 2015 at 10.13, Moscow time, – Roscosmos points out.
Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Korniyenko will control the vehicle approaching Pirs docking module of Russian ISS segment.
On Sunday American Falcon 9 booster crashed resulting in the loss of Dragon cargo vehicle. The Booster was launched from Cape Canaveral (Florida) at 17.21, Moscow time. First two minutes after the launch everything was nominal but 2,5 minutes after the lift-off the booster exploded. SpaceX is supposed not to launch anything at least for several month, investigation may take up to half a year. Apart from foodstuffs and scientific equipment the vehicle was to deliver to the station docking node for future docking with American manned spacecrafts and new spacesuits for American astronauts.
However both Russian and American space agencies assure that ISS crew is out of danger.