MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) - For the first time ever, the International Space Station (ISS) will be lifted up by a United States Cygnus cargo spacecraft in July, a source in the aerospace industry told Interfax.
"The U.S. Cygnus cargo spacecraft launched in May 21 will try to lift up the ISS in July. The attempt will be made between July 10 and 15, before the Russian Progress MS-09 resupply ship arrives and the Cygnus departs from the station," the source said.
If the maneuver succeeds, the ISS's orbit adjustments will be done by Russian and U.S. spaceships by turn, the source said.
For the past three years, all ISS orbit adjustments have been performed by Russia's Progress spaceships and the Zvezda module.
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