January 4 - One of Volga-Dnepr Airlines' Antonov 124 aircraft has delivered the Russian MIM-1 research module destined for the International Space Station from Moscow to Titusville, Florida for Russia's ENERGIA Rocket and Space Corporation.
MIM-1 is an abbreviation for Small Research Module-1 designated for the Russian segment of the International Space Station. Loading of the module and accompanying supplies onboard the AN-124-100 commenced at Moscow-Ramenskoye Airport took six hours. Despite the cold weather conditions, the required special temperature was maintained in the aircraft's cargo bay during the loading process. Strict environmental conditions were maintained throughout the flight to protect the highly sensitive cargo, with APU running to heat the cargo bay to the required level.
The overall weight of the shipment totalled 53 tonnes and the module will now be subjected to a number of tests before being launched to the ISS in May 2010.
