Soviet Cargo Craft Docks With Orbiting Space Station Mir
A Soviet space cargo craft docked successfully with the orbiting station Mir Friday to supply scientific equipment for a manned mission next month, Tass reported.
The Soviet news agency said the unmanned Progress-M craft, a new type of space vehicle, docked with Mir at 9:19 a.m. Moscow time. Two Soviet cosmonauts are due to lift off for Mir Sept. 6 for a five-month stay on the space station.
Mir has been unmanned since April, following criticism of the cost of the Soviet space program at a time of severe economic problems in the country.
The Soviet Union has allocated the equivalent of more than $10 billion for its space program this year, including $6 billion for military projects, the newspaper Argumenty I Fakty reported Friday.
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