NASA · Wednesday, September 9, 2026
A Russian cargo ship is set to launch to the space station today
The File desk · Sep 9, 2026, 2:18 PM UTC
Status
Confirmed from NASA’s news release on the scheduled Progress 96 launch and docking. Launch success is not yet known at this morning lock.
- Confirmed
NASA said the unpiloted Progress 96 craft is scheduled to lift off at 12:15 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Sept. 9, on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies. Live coverage was planned from noon Eastern. Docking is set for Friday, Sept. 11, at 2:37 p.m. Eastern at the Poisk module. Progress 94 was scheduled to undock Monday, Sept. 7, at about 11:18 a.m. Eastern. The new ship is to stay about five months, then re-enter over the Pacific.
- Unverified
Whether Progress 96 actually launched, and whether Progress 94 undocked as scheduled, are not confirmed in a later NASA success notice in this morning pass.
Fresh supplies are headed to orbit this afternoon if the clock holds. NASA said the unpiloted Progress 96 craft is scheduled to lift off at 12:15 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Sept. 9, on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It carries about three tons of food, fuel, and gear for the International Space Station crew. NASA planned live coverage from noon Eastern. Docking is set for Friday, Sept. 11, at 2:37 p.m. Eastern at the Poisk module. Progress 94 was scheduled to undock Monday to make room. The new ship is to stay about five months before a fiery Pacific re-entry.
Fresh supplies are headed to orbit this afternoon if the clock holds.
NASA said the unpiloted Progress 96 craft is scheduled to lift off at 12:15 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Sept. 9, on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Baikonur time for the same launch is 9:15 p.m.
The ship carries about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the crew on the International Space Station. NASA planned to start live launch coverage at noon Eastern.
Docking is set for Friday, Sept. 11, at 2:37 p.m. Eastern, at the space-facing port of the Poisk module. Arrival coverage was to begin at 1:45 p.m. Eastern.
Before the new ship arrives, NASA said Progress 94 was scheduled to undock at about 11:18 a.m. Eastern on Monday, Sept. 7. The agency said it would not stream that undocking.
Progress 96 is to stay docked about five months, then leave and burn up over the Pacific. Whether today’s launch happens on time is not known at this morning lock.
What is still unknown or disputed
- Actual launch and docking success not known at morning edition lock.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
NASA to Cover Progress 96 Spacecraft Launch, Docking
NASA · September 3, 2026
Launch 12:15 p.m. EDT Sept. 9 from Baikonur; about three tons of supplies; dock Poisk 2:37 p.m. EDT Sept. 11; Progress 94 undock about 11:18 a.m. Sept. 7. Page last updated Sept. 8, 2026.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-cover-progress-96-spacecraft-launch-docking/