ISS orbit adjusted prior to cargo ship docking

The orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) was elevated Thursday in preparation for a docking with an unmanned cargo ship, Russia's Mission Control Center (MCC) said. The 233-second maneuver, started at 6:15 a.m. Moscow time (0215 GMT), was conducted using the engines of the Progress M-17M, which is currently docked at the ISS' Zvezda module, according to the MCC website. As a result, the ISS orbit was lifted by 830 meters to the average of 411 km. The adjustment is aimed at preparing for the upcoming docking of the Progress M-18M cargo spacecraft, which is scheduled to blast off on February 11. The current ISS crew comprises three Russian, two U.S. and a Canadian crew members.