An unpiloted ISS Progress 59 cargo craft launched at 3:09 a.m. EDT (7:09 UTC, 1:09 p.m. local time in Baikonur) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. At the time of launch, the International Space Station? was flying about 257 miles over northeast Kazakhstan near the Russian border, having flown over the launch site two and a half minutes before lift off.

Less than 10 minutes after launch, the resupply ship reached preliminary orbit and deployed its solar arrays and navigational antennas as planned.

Russian flight controllers notified the crew members that Progress will make a two-day, 34-orbit rendezvous to the station instead of the planned four-orbit, six-hour journey after telemetry could not confirm the Kurs automated rendezvous antennas deployed.

The Russian cargo craft now is scheduled to arrive at the space station Thursday morning at approximately 5:03 a.m. EDT/9:03 UTC.

Image and launch details via NASA on G+

 

Bottom line: An unpiloted ISS Progress 59 cargo craft launched at 3:09 a.m. EDT (7:09 UTC, 1:09 p.m. local time in Baikonur) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying food and supplies for the International Space Station.

Source……www.earthsky.org

Natarajan