![A file photo of Progress MS-21 departing the space station in February 2023. Progress MS-25 arrrived at the ISS on Dec. 3, 2023, and docked with the Poisk module. Credit: NASA](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/52717982188_8fd8abfff7_k.jpg)
A file photo of Progress MS-21 departing the space station in February 2023. Progress MS-25 arrrived on the ISS on Dec. 3, 2023, and docked with the Poisk module. Credit: NASA
Russia’s uncrewed Progress MS-25 cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station to resupply the seven-person Expedition 70 crew living aboard the outpost.
The spacecraft launched atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket at 4:25 a.m. EST (09:25 UTC) Dec. 1 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to start a two-day rendezvous profile. Progress MS-25 docked with the space-facing Poisk module at 6:18 a.m. EST (11:18 UTC) Dec. 3.
During approach to the space station, which is generally automated, there was an alignment issue that required Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko to take over manual control remotely from contained in the ISS. The problem occurred through the flyaround phase of rendezvous while Progress was about 180 meters away from the outpost. Kononenko used the TORU docking system contained in the station’s Zvezda module to guide the vehicle back into alignment before manually docking the spacecraft.
![Progress MS-25 launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: Roscosmos](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GAZYBTOWAAAATzb-655x368.png)
Progress MS-25 launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: Roscosmos
Aboard the cargo freighter is a few 5,600 kilos (2,500 kilograms) of supplies, including food, consumables, experiments and hardware. Progress MS-25 will remain on the ISS for about six months, during which era it’ll be unloaded of its contents and reloaded with trash and unneeded equipment.
At the top of Progress MS-25’s mission, it’ll undock from the ISS and perform a deorbit burn to reenter the atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean. Because Progress spacecraft usually are not designed to return to Earth, it’ll burn up within the atmosphere.
This was the identical fate of Progress MS-23, which undocked from the Poisk module on Nov. 29 to make way for Progress MS-25. Progress MS-23 had been on the space station since May of this 12 months.
Progress MS-25 joins five other visiting spacecraft on the ISS: Russia’s Progress MS-24 resupply spacecraft; Soyuz MS-24, which brought three space station crew members to the outpost in September; Northrop Grumman’s NG-19 Cygnus cargo ship; SpaceX’s Crew-7 Dragon, which brought 4 people to the ISS in August; and SpaceX’s CRS-29 Dragon cargo ship.
Each CRS-29 Dragon and NG-19 Cygnus are expected to depart before the top of the 12 months. Only the Dragon cargo spacecraft will likely be recovered following a parachute assisted splashdown in waters off the coast of Florida.
![A graphic showing the spacecraft currently docked to the International Space Station. Credit: Derek Richardson / Spaceflight Insider / Orbital Velocity](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ISS-Docking-Configuration-12Dec2023A.jpg)
A graphic showing the spacecraft currently docked to the International Space Station. Credit: Derek Richardson / Spaceflight Insider / Orbital Velocity