All available docking nodes are occupied on the ISS

This photo (render) was published on Twitter by NASA. The

European unmanned cargo ship ATV-5 took the fifth docking station, so that all really accessible places are now occupied on the International Space Station . However, already on Friday, the American Cygnus should undock and free up one place.

Now the Soyuz TMA-12M and Soyuz TMA-13M manned spacecraft, which deliver the ISS crews to / from Earth (one ship as a spare), as well as three unmanned cargo ships, are now in the parking lot.

Soyuz TMA-12M manned spacecraft arrived on March 27 (Soyuz-FG launch vehicle, Baikonur cosmodrome) with the participants of the 39th expedition (they had already left the station), and undocked on September 11.

Soyuz TMA-13M manned spacecraft arrived on May 29 (Soyuz-FG launch vehicle, Baikonur cosmodrome) with the participants of the 40th expedition, and undocked on November 10.

Unmanned cargo ship Progress M-24M (Progress 56), arrived July 24 (Soyuz-U launch vehicle, Baikonur Cosmodrome), cargo: about 2500 kg, fuel, food and water, scientific equipment and supplies; undocked on October 27th.


“Progress” before docking Cygnus CRS Orb-2

unmanned cargo ship(cargo: 2000 kg) was launched into orbit on July 16 by the American company Orbital Sciences. It is one of two commercial companies (along with Space X) that has received a NASA contract for the delivery of goods. Unlike the SpaceX Dragon capsule, this one will not be able to return back to Earth and will burn in the atmosphere after undocking today on August 15. Astronauts will load it with unnecessary garbage and send it to Earth.


Cygnus CRS Orb-2 before docking

ATV-5 is the last cargo ship delivered to the ISS by the European Space Agency. This heavy vehicle on August 12 brought to the station 7,700 kg of cargo, and it will be unloaded / loaded right up to January 25, 2015.


ATV-4 before burning in the atmosphere