The Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft took a short spin around the International Space Station to switch parking spots, easing the way for another spaceship’s arrival later this week. In what was billed as a “Sunday drive” in space by NASA, Russia’s space agency’s Alexander Skortsov manually steered the Soyuz spacecraft to the spot on the station’s Poisk module. The manoeuvre clears the craft’s former docking port, at the aft end of the station’s Zvezda module, for an unmanned Soyuz that had to abort its own attempt to rendezvous on Saturday.
NASA spokesperson Rob Navias announced: “Docking right on time,” during live commentary as Mr Skvortsov deftly piloted Soyuz MS-13 to its Poisk docking port at 3.59am BST (11.59pm EDT).
The ISS was orbiting 260 miles (418km) over Beijing during the operation.
NASA’s Andrew Morgan and the European Space Agency’s Luca Parmitano accompanied Mr Skvortsov on the 24 minute-long mission.
The trio arrived at the ISS together on Soyuz MS-13 a month ago and will use the spacecraft for the return trip to Earth later this year.
READ MORE: Astronauts share breathtaking views of the Earth from 250 miles up
Yesterday’s Soyuz flight is critical to clear the Zvezda docking port ahead of today’s arrival of the new Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft.
Roscosmos launched the unmanned Soyuz MS-14 on August 22 during a test flight of an upgraded Soyuz 2.1a rocket.
The Soyuz was scheduled to dock itself at the ISS’ Poisk module on Saturday, but aborted when its automated Kurs navigation system failed to lock on to the docking port.
The Soyuz has been following behind the International Space Station ever since, while the next docking attempt is prepared.
READ MORE: See the best pictures of Earth from space
Controllers suspect a bad Kurs signal amplifier in the Poisk module, not on the Soyuz, led to the docking abort.
No one was onboard the Soyuz to take manual control of the docking like Mr Skvortsov yesterday.
As a workaround, Skvortsov and his crewmates were ordered to manually move the older Soyuz MS-13 to the Poisk moduleto allow Soyuz MS-14 to make an automated docking attempt at the Zvezda module today.
The docking is scheduled to take place Monday night at 3.12am GMT (11.12pm EDT).
US space agency NASA will broadcast the docking live on NASA TV, beginning at 1.30 BST (10.30pm EDT). You can watch it live HERE.
The unmanned Soyuz MS-14 is ferrying eagerly-anticipated cargo to the International Space Station.
The spacecraft is packed with 658kg of food and other supplies for the space station’s six-person Expedition 60 crew.
Soyuz MS-14 is also carrying the Skybot F-850 humanoid robot to the ISS.
