Progress M-08M

Progress M-08M (Russian: Прогресс М-08М), identified by NASA as Progress 40 or 40P, is a Progress spacecraft which was used to resupply the International Space Station. It was the eighth Progress-M 11F615A60 spacecraft to be launched, the fifth for the year 2010. The spacecraft was manufactured by RKK Energia, and was operated by the Russian Federal Space Agency. It arrived at the space station on 30 October 2010 whilst the Expedition 25 crew was aboard, and departed during Expedition 26 on 24 January 2011.

Prelaunch operations

Prior to the expected launch, preparations had been going for months. A train with the Soyuz-U rocket that will be used for the Progress launch arrived at Baikonur Cosmodrome on 24 July 2010. The rocket was transported to Site 112. The Progress M-08M spacecraft was delivered to the Baikonur on 3 September where it was hosted at site 254. Prelaunch processing gathered pace afterwords with tests of the Progress' RF systems in the acoustic chamber completed in late September and leak checks in the vacuum chamber in early October. On 3 October, Progress spacecraft was transported to hall 104 of the integration facility from the vacuum chamber. Further tests continued and potable water was loaded into Rodnik tanks of the M-08M spacecraft.