By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The International Space Station’s orbit has been adjusted to prepare for the docking of the Progress M-65 cargo module, due to be launched September 10, Russia’s Mission Control Center said Wednesday.
Corrections to the space station’s orbit are conducted periodically before launches of Russian cargo modules and U.S. shuttles to compensate for Earth’s gravity and to ensure successful dockings.
Mission control said the two of the four engines on the Jules Verne Automated Transport Vehicle (ATV) were activated for 995.1 seconds (about 16.5 minutes), with the station’s orbit being raised by 5.8 kilometers. The ISS is currently at an altitude of 355.9 kilometers over earth’s surface.
“The correction has been made without the crew’s involvement,” a mission control spokesman said.
The next launch of a Soyuz manned spacecraft to the ISS is scheduled for October 12.