Progress Spacecraft Launches and Departures: Baikonur, NASA, and Roscosmos Missions Update

Roscosmos is preparing to launch the uncrewed Progress MS-34 cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, April 26, 2026, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The mission will use a Soyuz 2.1a rocket and marks a key step in maintaining Russia’s resupply capabilities to the orbital outpost following recent repairs to its launch infrastructure.

The Progress MS-34 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off at 3:21 a.m. Local Baikonur time, which corresponds to 6:21 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 25, 2026. This timing aligns with standard resupply mission windows and follows the established pattern of Progress flights supporting long-duration ISS expeditions.

Baikonur’s Site 31/6, the only operational pad at the cosmodrome configured for crewed Soyuz launches and Progress cargo missions to the ISS, has been fully restored after sustaining damage during the Soyuz MS-28 crewed launch on November 27, 2025. During that mission, the service cabin—a multi-story mobile maintenance platform weighing approximately 17 tonnes—was not properly secured after retraction and was dislodged by rocket exhaust, causing it to fall into the flame trench and damage access structures and bridges.

Repairs to the service cabin and associated infrastructure have now been completed, clearing the way for resumed operations. The restoration was confirmed by Roscosmos earlier in March 2026, enabling the scheduling of Progress MS-33 in late March and now Progress MS-34 for late April.

Progress MS-34 will carry approximately three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the ISS, consistent with the cargo capacity of previous Progress missions. After launch, the spacecraft will undergo a two-day autonomous flight before docking to the aft port of the Zvezda module. Docking is expected to occur on Monday, April 27, 2026, at approximately 8:00 p.m. EDT, though the exact time may be refined closer to the event based on orbital mechanics and mission progress.

NASA will provide live coverage of the launch and docking activities through its platforms, including NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Launch coverage is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. EDT on April 25, with docking coverage starting at 7:15 p.m. EDT on April 27. This follows NASA’s standard practice of broadcasting key Progress resupply missions to ensure transparency and public engagement with ISS operations.

The Progress MS-34 mission comes shortly after the departure of Progress 93, which undocked from the ISS on April 20, 2026, and subsequently re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, burning up harmlessly over the Pacific Ocean. That departure cleared the aft port of Zvezda for the arrival of the new cargo vehicle, maintaining the standard rotation of resupply spacecraft supporting the station’s crew.

With the launch pad restored and mission preparations underway, Progress MS-34 represents a continuation of Russia’s essential role in ISS logistics. The flight ensures ongoing delivery of critical resources to support scientific research, station maintenance, and crew well-being aboard the orbiting laboratory, reinforcing international cooperation in low Earth orbit operations.