THERE was something not so routine about the unmanned Russian supply ship that lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday. Besides the usual supplies for the crew of the International Space Station, the Progress craft is carrying a few items to prepare the ISS for the return of the space shuttle.
Since the shuttle was grounded two years ago, Progress cargo ships have been shouldering the burden of restocking the space station. But this may be the last such trip if NASA’s plans to fly the shuttle again sometime in May go ahead. The latest Progress is…
