Russia's Mission Control is preparing to adjust the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday by raising it 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles).
The readjustment is necessary to ensure the best conditions for the docking of Russia's Progress M-09M space freighter and the U.S. Discovery's final mission to the orbital station before the veteran space shuttle is removed from future service.
"The maneuver will be carried out with the help of eight thrusters of the Progress M-07M cargo spacecraft, which is currently docked with the station's Zvezda module," the Mission Control said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The station's orbit will be raised by 4.2 km to 352.9 km [219 miles]," the statement said.
Corrections to the space station's orbit are conducted periodically before launches of Russian cargo ships and U.S. shuttles to compensate for the Earth's gravity and to safeguard successful dockings.
Russia's Progress M-09M space freighter is scheduled for launch on January 28, while the Discovery shuttle is expected to depart for ISS on February 3, 2011.
MOSCOW, December 21 (RIA Novosti)
