Progress M-63 was launched by a Soyuz-U carrier rocket from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Launch occurred at 13:02 UTC on 5 February 2008.[1]
Docking
The spacecraft docked with the Pirs module at 14:38 UTC on 7 February 2008.[2] Pirs had been vacated by the departure of Progress M-62 which had undocked on 4 February 2008.[3] Progress M-63 successfully docked using the automated Kurs system; cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko was standing by to guide it in using the backup manual TORU system should it have been necessary.[3] Progress M-63 remained docked for 60 days before undocking at 08:49 UTC on 7 April 2008.[4] It was deorbited at 11:50 UTC on 7 April 2008.[4] The spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean, with any remaining debris landing in the ocean at around 12:36 UTC.[4][5]
Progress M-63 carried supplies to the International Space Station, including food, water and oxygen for the crew and equipment for conducting scientific research. Its cargo consisted of over 528.5 kilograms (1,165 lb) of propellant, 46 kilograms (101 lb) of oxygen and air, approximately 419.5 kilograms (925 lb) of water and 1,326.6 kilograms (2,925 lb) of dry cargo. The total mass of its cargo was 2,326 kilograms (5,128 lb).[3]
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).