# Progress M-46

> Russian cargo spacecraft

**Wikidata**: [Q4379845](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4379845)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_M-46)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/progress-m-46

## Summary  
Progress M-46 was a Russian cargo spacecraft designed to resupply orbiting space stations. Launched on June 26, 2002, it delivered essential supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) before burning up in Earth’s atmosphere on October 14, 2002.

## Key Facts  
- **Launched:** June 26, 2002  
- **Launch Site:** Gagarin's Start  
- **Launch Vehicle:** Soyuz-U rocket  
- **COSPAR ID:** 2002-033A  
- **SCN (Spacecraft Number):** 27454  
- **Instance Of:** Progress-M class spacecraft  
- **Preceded By:** Progress M1-8  
- **Followed By:** Progress M1-9  
- **Decay Date:** October 14, 2002  
- **Aliases:** プログレス8, 8P  

## FAQs  
### Q: What was the purpose of Progress M-46?  
A: Progress M-46 was an unmanned cargo spacecraft used to deliver food, water, fuel, and other supplies to the International Space Station. It played a critical role in sustaining ISS operations during its mission.

### Q: When was Progress M-46 launched?  
A: Progress M-46 was launched on June 26, 2002, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome using a Soyuz-U rocket.

### Q: How long did Progress M-46 stay in orbit?  
A: Progress M-46 remained in orbit until October 14, 2002, when it reentered Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated as planned after completing its supply mission.

## Why It Matters  
Progress M-46 represents one of many missions within Russia’s long-standing logistical support system for the International Space Station. As part of the Progress-M series, it ensured continuous delivery of vital resources necessary for crew survival and station maintenance. These automated resupply flights were crucial to maintaining international collaboration in low-Earth orbit and demonstrated reliable cargo transportation capabilities that underpin modern space station logistics.

## Notable For  
- Part of the highly successful Progress-M spacecraft lineage  
- Launched aboard the widely-used Soyuz-U rocket  
- Completed a full resupply cycle with controlled deorbit  
- Identified by SCN number 27454 and COSPAR ID 2002-033A  
- Featured in multiple language editions of Wikipedia including Greek, English, Japanese, Russian, and Swedish  

## Body  
### Mission Overview  
Progress M-46 was an uncrewed cargo spacecraft operated by Russia to support the International Space Station (ISS). Its primary function was to transport essential supplies such as propellant, oxygen, food, and equipment to the orbiting outpost.

### Launch Details  
The spacecraft was launched on **June 26, 2002**, at **Gagarin's Start** launch site located at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch vehicle used was the **Soyuz-U**, a variant of the well-known Soyuz family of rockets developed originally by the Soviet Union.

### Technical Classification  
Progress M-46 belongs to the **Progress-M** class of spacecraft, which are modified versions of the Soyuz spacecraft optimized for cargo rather than human passengers. These vehicles are fully automated and disposable, designed to burn up upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.

### Operational Sequence  
Following its launch, Progress M-46 successfully docked with the ISS and offloaded its payload. After several months of service, it undocked and performed a controlled deorbit maneuver. The spacecraft decayed naturally and burned up during atmospheric reentry on **October 14, 2002**.

### Identification Codes  
Progress M-46 has been catalogued under various identifiers:
- **SCN (Spacecraft Number):** 27454  
- **COSPAR ID:** 2002-033A  
- **Freebase ID:** /m/064k62g  
- **Wolfram Language Entity Code:** Entity["Satellite", "27454"]  

These codes help uniquely identify the spacecraft across databases and tracking systems.

### Succession  
It followed **Progress M1-8** and preceded **Progress M1-9**, continuing the sequential naming convention typical of the Progress program.

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Progress M-46",
  "description": "Russian cargo spacecraft launched in 2002 to resupply the International Space Station.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27454",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_M-46"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Cargo Spacecraft"
}

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report