MOSCOW. Aug 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Specialists from the Russian mission control center have performed a routine maneuver to lift the International Space Station (ISS) into a higher orbit.
"A maneuver to raise the orbit was carried out early in the morning. The station's average altitude has been increased by four kilometers," a mission control source told Interfax on Thursday.
The station's maximum distance from the earth is now 383 kilometers and the minimum distance is 360 kilometers, he said.
"This was a planned operation. We regularly perform the maneuvers to lift the orbit. This is done so the station will not lose altitude, and also before it docks with spacecraft launched to the ISS. Today's maneuver was carried out to maintain the orbit's altitude," the source said.