science

Progress MS-12

Progress MS-12 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Progress MS-12 rather than just read about it. In short: Progress MS-12 (Russian: Прогресс МC-12), Russian production No.442, identified by NASA as Progress 73P, was a Progress spaceflight operated by Roscosmos to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). This was the 164th flight of a Progress spacecraft.

Key takeaways

Progress MS-12 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Progress MS-12 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Progress MS-12 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Progress MS-12 (Russian: Прогресс МC-12), Russian production No.442, identified by NASA as Progress 73P, was a Progress spaceflight operated by Roscosmos to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). This was the 164th flight of a Progress spacecraft.

History The Progress-MS is an uncrewed freighter based on the Progress-M featuring improved avionics. This improved variant first launched on 21 December 2015. It has the following improvements:

New external compartment that enables it to deploy satellites. Each compartment can hold up to four launch containers. First time installed on Progress MS-03. Enhanced redundancy thanks to the addition of a backup system of electrical motors for the docking and sealing mechanism. Improved Micrometeoroid (MMOD) protection with additional panels in the cargo compartment. Luch Russian relay satellites link capabilities enable telemetry and control even when not in direct view of ground radio stations. GNSS autonomous navigation enables real time determination of the status vector and orbital parameters dispensing with the need of ground station orbit determination. Real time relative navigation thanks to direct radio data exchange capabilities with the space station. New digital radio that enables enhanced TV camera view for the docking operations. The Ukrainian Chezara Kvant-V on board radio system and antenna/feeder system has been replaced with a Unified Command Telemetry System (UCTS). Replacement of the Kurs A with Kurs NA digital system.

Pre-launch In 2014, the launch was planned for 1 July 2018, rescheduled for 5 June 2019 and rescheduled to 31 July 2019. The liftoff had been initially set for the two-day rendezvous profile with the station, but the launch time was later shifted to enable a two-orbit (three-hour) flight to the station.

Launch Progress MS-12 was launched on 31 July 2019, at 12:10:46 UTC from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, using a Soyuz-2.1a rocket.

Docking Progress MS-12 docked with the Pirs docking module. The docking took place 3 hours 18 minutes 31 seconds into the mission (a new record time).

Cargo The Progress MS-12 spacecraft delivered 1,164 kg (2,566 lb) of dry cargo (in the cargo compartment).

420 kg (930 lb) of water (in the Rodnik-system tanks) 51 kg (112 lb) of oxygen (in pressurized bottles) 850 kg (1,870 lb) of propellant in the refueling section 880 kg (1,940 lb) of propellant in the integrated propulsion system to the International Space Station. The dry cargo consisted of:

394 kg (869 lb) of hardware for onboard systems 27 kg (60 lb) of medical supplies 1 kg (2.2 lb) of personal protective gear 190 kg (420 lb) of hygiene items 7 kg (15 lb) of repairs and servicing equipment 20 kg (44 lb) of means of crew support 282 kg (622 lb) of food 13 kg (29 lb) of payloads 38 kg (84 lb) of structural components and other hardware 192 kg (423 lb) of NASA cargo.

Undocking and decay The Progress MS-12 craft undocked from ISS on 29 November 2019 at 10:25 UTC, initiated braking maneuver at 13:39 UTC, re-entered Earth's atmosphere at 14:11 UTC (end of mission), with any remaining debris impacting a remote part of Pacific Ocean at 14:19 UTC.

See also Uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Progress MS-12

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Progress MS-12 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Progress MS-12 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Progress MS-12 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Progress MS-12

In research: Progress MS-12 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Progress MS-12 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Progress MS-12 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2019 in Russia, Progress (spacecraft) missions, Spacecraft launched by Soyuz-2 rockets, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Progress MS-12 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Progress MS-12 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Progress MS-12 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Progress MS-12 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Progress MS-12 in simple terms?

Why does Progress MS-12 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Progress MS-12?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Progress MS-12.