# Progress M-10
**Wikidata**: [Q7248553](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7248553)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_M-10)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/progress-m-10

## Summary  
Progress M-10 is a Russian Progress-M class cargo spacecraft launched on October 17, 1991, to resupply orbiting space stations. It was carried into orbit by a Soyuz-U2 rocket from Gagarin's Start launch site. The mission was part of the routine logistics support for Soviet space station operations.

## Key Facts  
- Launched on **October 17, 1991** from **Gagarin's Start**  
- Part of the **Progress-M** spacecraft class, designed for resupply missions to space stations  
- Launched aboard the **Soyuz-U2** carrier rocket  
- COSPAR ID: **1991-073A**  
- SCN (Spacecraft Number): **21746**  
- Instance of: **Progress-M** resupply vehicle  
- Freebase ID: **/m/07kb92v**  
- Wikipedia titles exist in languages including English, Japanese, Greek, and Swedish  

## FAQs  
### Q: What was the purpose of Progress M-10?  
A: Progress M-10 was an unmanned cargo spacecraft used to deliver supplies such as food, water, fuel, and equipment to orbiting space stations. Its mission supported ongoing crewed operations in low Earth orbit.

### Q: When and where was Progress M-10 launched?  
A: Progress M-10 was launched on **October 17, 1991**, from **Gagarin's Start**, the primary launch facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

### Q: What type of rocket launched Progress M-10?  
A: Progress M-10 was launched using a **Soyuz-U2** carrier rocket, a variant of the widely used Soyuz family designed for improved performance with upper stage modifications.

## Why It Matters  
Progress M-10 represents one of many critical logistical components in sustaining long-term human presence in space during the final years of the Soviet space program. As part of the Progress-M series, it played a vital role in delivering essential cargo to space stations like Mir, ensuring continuous habitation and scientific research. These resupply missions enabled extended-duration missions and demonstrated reliable automated docking capabilities—foundational technologies for future international cooperation in space, including the International Space Station (ISS). Without vehicles like Progress M-10, sustained orbital operations would have been impossible.

## Notable For  
- Being part of the highly successful **Progress-M** line of resupply spacecraft  
- Launching during a pivotal year (**1991**) amid political changes in the USSR  
- Using the **Soyuz-U2** launcher, known for reliability in supporting Progress missions  
- Assigned SCN identifier **21746**, tracked by global aerospace databases  
- Contributing to the maintenance and operation of Soviet-era space stations through automated cargo delivery  

## Body  

### Mission Overview  
Progress M-10 was an uncrewed resupply spacecraft developed under the Soviet space program. It belonged to the **Progress-M** class, which served as the backbone of logistical support for space stations throughout the 1990s and beyond.

The spacecraft was launched on **October 17, 1991**, carrying essential cargo intended for use aboard the **Mir space station**. Like other Progress vehicles, it featured a pressurized cargo module, a refueling module, and a propulsion/docking module.

### Technical Specifications  
- **Class**: Progress-M  
- **Launch Vehicle**: Soyuz-U2  
- **Launch Site**: Gagarin's Start, Baikonur Cosmodrome  
- **COSPAR ID**: 1991-073A  
- **SCN (Spacecraft Number)**: 21746  

Progress-M spacecraft were based on the Soyuz design but modified for cargo transport rather than crew transportation. They could carry up to approximately **2,500 kg** of supplies, including propellant, oxygen, food, and experimental equipment.

### Launch Details  
- **Date**: October 17, 1991  
- **Event Type**: Rocket launch  
- **Location**: Gagarin's Start, Pad 1/5, Baikonur Cosmodrome  
- **Carrier Rocket**: Soyuz-U2  

This launch occurred toward the end of the Soviet Union’s existence, highlighting the continued operational capacity of its space infrastructure despite broader geopolitical shifts.

### Operational Role  
As a standard function within the Progress program, Progress M-10 docked automatically with the target space station. After offloading its contents, it remained attached until filled with waste materials, then undocked and deorbited safely over uninhabited areas.

These missions ensured that space station crews had access to necessary consumables without requiring costly or risky crewed flights solely for logistics purposes.

### Legacy and Tracking  
Progress M-10 has been catalogued across multiple authoritative databases:
- **Wolfram Language Entity Code**: Satellite 21746  
- **Freebase ID**: /m/07kb92v  
- **Wikipedia Languages Available**: el, en, ja, sv  

Its inclusion in multilingual knowledge systems underscores its recognition as a historically relevant mission in the context of late-Soviet and early-Russian spaceflight history.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report