A Russian Progress 96 cargo spacecraft carrying nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies launched toward the International Space Station on September 16, 2026, according to NASA. The resupply mission comes as NASA and SpaceX manage an ongoing delay for the Crew-13 flight.
Progress 96 Launch and Docking Schedule
According to NASA, the Progress 96 spacecraft lifted off at 9:33 a.m. EDT aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft is scheduled for an automated docking to the space-facing Poisk module at 9:46 a.m. EDT on Saturday, September 19, utilizing the Kurs-NA automated rendezvous system.
Crew-13 Delay and Oxidizer Leak Status
The arrival of fresh supplies provides critical support for the orbiting outpost while SpaceX’s Crew-13 mission remains grounded. However, engineers postponed the launch after discovering an oxidizer leak in the propulsion system of the Dragon spacecraft “Grace” during processing at Cape Canaveral on August 29. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman estimated a two-to-four-week repair timeline, and joint teams continue testing data without a confirmed new launch date, leaving the current station residents on an extended mission duration.
Current Station Activities and Research
While awaiting the crew rotation, the seven current station residents maintained a full schedule of microgravity research and maintenance on Wednesday, September 16, according to NASA. Station commander Jessica Meir documented her sleep quality, collected saliva samples, and downloaded smartwatch biomedical data for the RelaxPro investigation, which aims to reduce stress and improve sleep for astronauts. Meir also transferred cargo in and out of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft, which has been berthed to the Unity module since April 14. NASA flight engineer Anil Menon demonstrated safe microgravity manufacturing by soldering components on a circuit board in the Harmony module using lead-free techniques, while flight engineer Jack Hathaway installed new water filter cartridges in the Destiny laboratory module’s oxygen generation system. ESA flight engineer Sophie Adenot exercised on the new European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) inside the Columbus laboratory module, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina, and Andrey Fedyaev completed power system tests, Elektron oxygen generator servicing, and computer inspections.
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