Soyuz rocket sends Progress 96 cargo craft toward the ISS

Roscosmos launched the uncrewed Progress 96 spacecraft atop a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 16, 2026, at 9:33 a.m. EDT, successfully placing the orbital resupply freighter into its planned trajectory toward the International Space Station. The vessel reached orbit.

Docking will occur autonomously at approximately 9:46 a.m. EDT on September 19, 2026, at the space-facing port of the Poisk module, with NASA broadcasting the arrival live across its official digital platforms.

LIVE: Tune in as an uncrewed cargo spacecraft lifts off to the @Space_Station carrying food, fuel, and supplies for the crew aboard. The Progress 96 spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 9:33am ET (1333 UTC). https://t.co/JzQqTY2w9A

— NASA (@NASA) September 16, 2026

The Progress 96 mission is transporting approximately three tons of cargo directly to the orbiting laboratory. This payload consists of food, fuel, and essential operational supplies.