The Progress MS-32 cargo ship performed a scheduled orbit correction of the International Space Station on the morning of April 16. The engines were activated at 05:34 Moscow time and issued a pulse of 0.25 m/s, operating for exactly 303 seconds, the Roscosmos press service reported.
As a result of the maneuver, the station rose by 440 meters, reaching an average altitude of 420.09 kilometers above the planet's surface. The correction was carried out to form ballistic conditions for two key operations: the upcoming launch of the Soyuz MS-29 manned spacecraft and the return to Earth of the Soyuz MS-28 descent vehicle.
Throughout the history of the ISS operation, this is already the 392nd correction of the orbital altitude. The accuracy of the Progress propulsion system allows the station to be maintained in a given echelon, compensating for natural braking in the upper atmosphere. Without such regular impulses, the ISS would lose about 100 meters of altitude per day and would enter the dense layers in a few months.
Read more materials on the topic:
- Progress MS-34 Ready for Launch: The Ship Will Depart to the ISS on April 26
- A Gastronomic Package from Krasnoyarsk Chefs Will Be Sent to the ISS for the First Time — Soyuz MS-29 Will Carry It
- To Take Off in the Summer of 2026: The Soyuz MS-29 Spacecraft Has Passed All Tests at Baikonur
