Russia's Progress M-09M cargo spacecraft will be sunk in the remote area in southern Pacific Ocean later on Tuesday after it undocked from the International Space Station on April 22, a spokesman for the Russian Mission Control said.
Following the undocking the spacecraft participated in a five-day geophysical scientific experiment codenamed Radar-Progress. The freighter is scheduled to be sunk at the "spaceship cemetery" at 17:23 Moscow time (13:23 GMT).
The so-called "spaceship cemetery," located not far from Christmas Island, is a designated area where many spacecraft, including the defunct Mir station, have been sunk.
Progress-family freighters have been the backbone of the Russian space cargo fleet for decades. In addition to their main mission as cargo spacecraft, they are used to adjust the ISS's orbit and conduct scientific experiments.
The next Progress-family spacecraft, Progress M-10M, is scheduled to be launched to the ISS from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on April 27 at 17:05 Moscow time (13:05 GMT).
MOSCOW, April 26 (RIA Novosti)
