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The uncrewed Russian spacecraft that experienced an antenna glitch in March 2026, requiring manual docking with the International Space Station, was Progress 94. This cargo vessel, designated Progress MS-33 by Roscosmos, launched on March 22, 2026, carrying essential supplies for the orbital outpost. Shortly after separating from its Soyuz rocket, one of its automated rendezvous antennas, part of the KURS docking system, failed to deploy as planned, preventing the spacecraft from performing its usual autonomous docking procedure.
Progress spacecraft are the workhorses of the Russian space program, serving as vital robotic freighters that regularly deliver food, water, fuel, oxygen, and other critical equipment to the ISS. These expendable vehicles are based on the design of the crewed Soyuz spacecraft but are modified solely for cargo transport and are designed to burn up in Earth's atmosphere upon re-entry after their mission. While automated docking is the standard procedure, cosmonauts aboard the ISS are extensively trained to manually pilot a Progress spacecraft using the TORU (Telerobotically Operated Rendezvous System) in the event of a system malfunction.
In this particular instance, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov successfully took manual control of Progress 94 from inside the Zvezda Service Module and guided it to a safe docking with the Poisk module on March 24, 2026. This demonstrated the critical importance of crew training and backup systems in ensuring the continued resupply and operation of the International Space Station, highlighting the resilience of international space cooperation even when faced with unexpected technical challenges.
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