On September 10, 2025, Roscosmos, the Russian state space corporation, announced that the unmanned cargo spacecraft numbered “Progress MS-30” has completed its supply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) At 21:59 Coordinated Universal Time (GMT) on September 9th, re-entry deceleration braking was carried out, and the structural debris eventually fell into a difficult-to-navigate area in the South Pacific.
The locations of this mission include the launch site – the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the docking terminal of the Russian module “Zvezda” of the International Space Station, and the final re-entry into the sea landing area. Although no specific individuals were involved in the key figures of the mission, the main subjects of the incident were the cooperation system between the Russian Federal Space Agency and the International Space Station, as well as the engineers and spacecraft designers involved in the orbital resupply system.
The Progress MS-30 was launched from Baikonur on February 28, 2025, carrying about 2.6 tons of supplies to the International Space Station, including food, water, fuel, air, and a set of Orlan-MKS spacesuits. The spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS’s “Dawn” module on March 2nd. During its stay, it not only provided support for the living needs of the space station but also carried out operations such as adjusting the orbital altitude.
At 18:45 on September 9th (Moscow time, approximately 15:45GMT), “Progress MS-30” decoupled from the “Dawn” module and entered the autonomous flight stage. After orbiting for several hours, the atmospheric re-entry braking thruster was activated around 21:59 to control the spacecraft to leave the orbit at a safe Angle. Most of the aircraft was burned up when passing through the atmosphere, and only some remnants of the fire-resistant structures fell into the non-navigable waters of the South Pacific.
After this mission was completed, the docking end occupied by the “Progress MS-30” was replaced by the next cargo spacecraft, the “Progress MS-32”. According to Roscosmos, the Progress MS-32 is expected to be launched from Baikonur on September 11 using the Soyuz-2.1a rocket. If all goes well, it will dock with the International Space Station on September 13.
The essential significance of the “Progress MS-30” lies in its continuation of Russia’s tradition of providing critical material support for the International Space Station, while also demonstrating the standard disposal procedures for cargo spacecraft after the mission. This process involves unhooking, reentry, burning most of the structure, and the debris safely falling into uninhabited waters to avoid any impact on navigation safety and the ecological environment.
According to the Wikipedia entry on “Progress MS-30”, a series of time points from the launch of the spacecraft to the end of the docking mission have been recorded in detail, including the launch and undocking times, as well as the types and quantities of cargo delivered.
The conclusion of this mission is of great significance to the operation of the International Space Station. On the one hand, it ensures that astronauts inside the station can obtain life support and materials needed for scientific research; On the other hand, it enables the next freight task to proceed smoothly and maintains the continuous use of rail transportation and docking ports. This is not only a verification of aerospace technology and ground operation capabilities, but also reflects the importance of international cooperation in space exploration.
In summary, after completing its re-entry and safely landing at sea on the night of September 9, 2025, the Progress MS-30 is remembered for its typical and successful mission life cycle. From the launch in Kazakhstan, to the resupply to the space station, and then to the safe landing of the debris in a sea area that does not pose a threat to personnel and the environment, every step of the mission meets the dual requirements of safety and efficiency for space missions. With the replacement of the “Progress MS-32”, the International Space Station’s resupply system has entered a new cycle. The mission of “Progress MS-30” this time marks both an end and the beginning of a new stage.
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