The Progress MS-30 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday evening, with its non-combustible fragments to be scuttled in a designated non-navigable area of the Pacific Ocean, as announced by Roscosmos.
The undocking of Progress MS-30 from the ISS is slated for September 9 at 18:44 Moscow time (15:44 GMT), followed by the controlled disposal of its structural elements into the Pacific Ocean at 22:41 Moscow time (19:41 GMT), according to the official statement.
The command for undocking from the Zvezda Service Module will be issued at 18:44 Moscow time. At 21:59, the spacecraft`s propulsion system will activate for de-orbiting, providing the necessary impulse to descend from orbit. Subsequently, Progress MS-30 will enter Earth`s dense atmosphere at 22:32 and is expected to largely disintegrate.
The surviving components of the spacecraft are anticipated to impact a remote oceanic region, approximately 2,100 kilometers (about 1,300 miles) from Wellington, New Zealand, and 7,360 kilometers (about 4,570 miles) from Santiago, Chile. This area is specifically chosen to avoid shipping lanes and populated zones.
Progress MS-30 originally arrived at the ISS on March 2, 2025, delivering 2.6 tons of vital supplies. These included essential equipment for station systems, specialized kits for scientific experiments, clothing, and sustenance for the cosmonauts, as well as various medical and sanitary-hygiene products. Additionally, the spacecraft transported fuel, potable water, nitrogen, and a new Orlan-MKS No. 6 spacesuit, crucial for extravehicular activities (spacewalks).
Its successor, the Progress MS-32 cargo ship, is set to launch on September 11. This upcoming mission will carry a similar array of standard supplies and scientific apparatus, along with another new Orlan-MKS No. 7 spacesuit, further enhancing the capabilities and resources of the ISS crew.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth