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MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s long-delayed laboratory module successfully docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, eight days after launching from the Russian space launch facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
The 20-metric ton (22-ton) Nauka module, also called the Multi-Purpose Laboratory Module, docked at the orbiting outpost in automatic mode after a long journey and a series of maneuvers.
Russia’s space agency Roscosmos confirmed the module’s contact with the International Space Station at 13:29 GMT.
Aiming to provide more space for scientific experiments and more space for the crew, the launch of the Nauka was repeatedly delayed due to technical issues. It was originally scheduled to rise in 2007.
In 2013, experts detected contamination in the fuel system, resulting in a long and costly replacement. Other Nauka systems have also undergone modernization or repair.
Nauka became the first new module in the Russian segment of the station since 2010. Once docked, it will require several maneuvers to prepare for operation, including 11 spacewalks that began in early September.
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