AI Insight
NASA will provide live coverage of the Roscosmos Progress 96 cargo spacecraft launch on September 9, 2026, and its docking to the International Space Station on September 11, 2026. The unpiloted resupply mission will deliver approximately three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the ISS crew, launching from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and autonomously docking to the Poisk module after a two-day journey. The spacecraft will remain attached for approximately five months before controlled re-entry and burn-up over the Pacific Ocean.
Why it matters
This routine resupply mission is critical for maintaining continuous human presence aboard the ISS, supporting ongoing scientific research and international collaboration in space. Such missions enable sustained operations that advance space exploration capabilities and prepare for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.
Understand the Science
NASA will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of a Roscosmos cargo spacecraft carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the crew aboard the International Space Station.
The unpiloted Progress 96 resupply spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 12:15 p.m. EDT (9:15 p.m. Baikonur time), Wednesday, Sept. 9, on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA’s live launch coverage will begin at 12 p.m.
After a two-day trip to the space station, Progress will dock autonomously to the Poisk module’s space-facing port at 2:37 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11. NASA’s arrival coverage will begin at 1:45 p.m.
NASA will stream these events live through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:
The spacecraft will remain docked to the orbiting laboratory for about five months before departing to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, where it will harmlessly burn up over the Pacific Ocean.
Before Progress 96 arrives, the Progress 94 spacecraft will undock from the space station at approximately 11:18 a.m., Monday, Sept. 7, for its departure and planned destructive re-entry. NASA will not stream coverage of Progress 94 undocking.
For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station helps NASA understand and overcome the challenges of human spaceflight, expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and build on the foundation for long-duration missions to the Moon, as part of the Artemis program, and to Mars.
Learn more about the International Space Station, its research, and crew, at:
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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
Source: NASA to Cover Progress 96 Spacecraft Launch, Docking