The Progress M-43 logistics vehicle was launched from
Baikonur launch site to Mir Space Station at 01 hours 27 minutes Moscow
Time.
The objective of the launch is to deliver propellant
to Mir Station to refuel the main propulsion system of the orbital complex,
as well as to deliver another cargoes to support the Space Station flight.
The spacecraft is put into an orbit with parameters:
max and min altitude – of 244.2 and 192.8 km respectively. Orbit around
the Earth takes 88.6 min. The spacecraft on-board systems function normally.
The docking of logistics vehicle is set for 2 hours 46
minutes on October 21, 2000.
During the Progress M-43 logistics vehicle autonomous
flight four-days rendezvous scheme with Mir orbital complex will be
performed to provide minimum fuel consumption.
The flight of the logistics vehicle Progress M-43 and
Mir orbital complex is controlled by the Lead Operational Control Team
(LOCT) at the Moscow Mission Control Center (MCC-M), Korolev, Moscow
region. LOCT is headed by the Flight Director, cosmonaut V.A. Soloviev.
Mir orbital complex, by information from LOCT, is in
a serviceable condition and is capable of continuing its controlled
flight in orbit, both in manned and unmanned modes.
Orbital complex with a total mass of 130 tons now consisting
of Core Module, Kvant, Kvant 2, Kristall, Spektr, Priroda modules and
Docking Compartment performs flight along the orbit with max and min
altitude – 352.5 and 327.0 km, inclination 51.66. Orbit around the Earth
takes 91.1 min.
Russian Federation Government is defining further operation
procedure of Mir station.
