PROGRESS M-52

Progress M-52 lifted off from Baikonur at 14: 09, February 28, 2005, and was soon in orbit with its antennae and photovoltaic arrays deployed. As the launch occurred, ISS was over the Atlantic Ocean, west of Cape Town, South Africa. Among its 2.4 tonnes of cargo, Progress carried 160 days of food for the crews of ISS. Following a standard 2-day approach the spacecraft docked to Zvezda’s nadir, at 15: 10, March 2. This was the first Progress docking to occur outside of direct-line-of-sight commun­ications with Russian ground stations. All telemetry and video links were routed to Korolev through American communications systems.

Meanwhile, NASA had voiced a concern over a projected shortfall of ISS logistics flights in the long term. In 2005 the schedule stood as follows:

• Three Shuttle flights in 2005 and five Shuttle flights per year from 2008 through 2010.

• Two Soyuz flights per year to 2008 and four Soyuz flights per year from 2009 through 2015.

• Four Progress launches per year to 2010 and five per year from 2011 through 2015.

• One European ATV launch per year from 2006 through 2013.

• One Japanese HTV launch per year from 2009.

NASA stated that this “does not meet the projected re-supply and return needs.’’