On February 3, 2010 the Russian Progress M-04M unmanned supply spacecraft was launched to the International Space Station from the Baykonur Cosmodrome at 03:45 UTC.
The space freighter will deliver more than 2600 kg of different kinds of cargo, including food and water supplies, fuel, oxygen and scientific equipment.
There are also personal parcels for the ISS crew members aboard the spacecraft. Russian cosmonauts Maksim Suraev and Oleg Kotov will also receive letters from their families and friends.
Progress M-04M is to be docked with the ISS on February 5, 2010 at 04:26 UTC.
On January 28, 2010 at 00:18 UTC the Russian "Raduga”-series satellite was launched with a Proton-M rocket-carrier from the Baykonur Cosmodrome.
Commander of Russian Space Forces, Maj. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko said the satellite "is a new project that will help significantly increase the capabilities of the space communication system."
Russia reportedly operates a constellation of 60-70 military satellites with reconnaissance, missile early warning and other capabilities.
The 50th anniversary of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces.
Strategic rocket forces (SRF) - an independent kind of armed forces, aimed at realization of measures of nuclear dissuasion and defeat of the strategic targets, which form the basis of military and military-economic potential of the enemy.
In 2009, Russian strategic rocket forces celebrate their 50th anniversary. On December 17, 1959 the USSR Council of Ministers’ Decree № 1384-615 was issued. It fixed the decision, adopted earlier, on creation of a new kind of armed forces.
The stamp presents the emblem of the strategic rocket forces, the «Topol» land-based
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On January 21, 2010 Russian cosmonaut Maksim Suraev performed a complex task of moving a spacecraft from one docking port to another on the International Space Station.
Maxim Surayev has manually piloted the Soyuz TMA-16 from its usual docking port on the ISS to the new Poisk module. He was assisted by U.S. astronaut Jeff Williams who was also on board the Soyuz spacecraft during the 25-minute operation.
The task has been carried out to free up a docking port on the Russian Zvezda module and to test for the first time the performance of a docking port on the new scientific Poisk module that arrived on the ISS in November last year.
The docking port on the Poisk will be frequently used in the future to receive Russiaan Soyuz and Progress spacecraf
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On January 16, 2010 at 16:12 UTC China has successfully launched its third navigation satellite as part of a project to develop its own global satellite navigation system.
photo by Xinhua
The Chang Zheng-3C (Long-March) rocket with the Beidou DW3 (Compass) satellite onboard was launched from the Xichang space center in the country's southwest.
On January 11, 2010 the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center marked its 50th Anniversary.
50 years ago on January 11, 1960 the commander-in-chief of Soviet Air Force, Air Chief Marshal K.Vershinin issued Number 321141 directive about founding the Cosmonaut Training Center in the structure of Soviet Air Force (military unit 26266).
