Russian Progress spacecraft approaching and docking with the International Space Station. The Progress spacecraft is a Russian expendable cargo vehicle used to deliver supplies to astronauts and cosmonauts in orbit. It does not carry a crew but it can be boarded when docked. After being unloaded, it is filled with waste and discarded items and undocked to make room for the next supply vehicle. After undocking the spacecraft deorbits and burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. Progress is derived from the manned Soyuz spacecraft and is launched on a Soyuz rocket.