The Soyuz MS-14, launched toward ISS on August 22, did not carry any crew but 670 kg of payload and the anthropomorphe robot Skybot F-850, or Fedor (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research).

This is the first time in 33 years (flight Soyuz TM-1) a Soyuz ship flew without a cosmonaut on board. The aim was to confirm the use of the launch vehicle Soyuz 2.1a for manned flights, as a replacement of the Soyuz FG.

The change of version enables to be freed of an analog control system provided by Ukraine and finally use a Russian full numerical equipment.

Russian skills.

On August 24, unfortunately, an electric failure on the docking navigation system Kurs of the docking compartment Poisk disrupted the automatic docking of the Soyuz MS-14.

After a single day of preparation, Soyuz MS-13’s crew (the Russian Alexandre Skvortsov, the Italian Luca Parmitano and the American Andrew Morgan) had to change the docking compartment of its ship on August 26 to enable the Soyuz MS-14 to dock on the module Zvezda, this morning at 3:08 UTC.

A great demonstration of skills from the Russians, enabling the robot 1.80 m high to relax its legs, 10 days after its settlement on the spot of the spacecraft commander.

Its mission is to test during fifteen days some robotic functions in microgravity conditions, before its return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-14.