International Space Station Crew Bids Farewell to Russian Resupply Ship

The Russian ISS Progress 53 cargo ship, which first arrived at the International Space Station last November, undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module on June 9, headed for a deorbit and fiery reentry back into the Earth's atmosphere to burn up over the Pacific Ocean. The unpiloted craft delivered almost three tons of supplies to the station last year, then undocked briefly in late April and redocked two days later to test new automated rendezvous equipment. Its departure clears the aft port of Zvezda for the arrival of the last European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo craft in August.