Cargo ship docks with ISS

2005-03-03 07:19

Moscow - A Russian cargo ship carrying food, equipment and other supplies docked successfully with the international space station on Wednesday, a Russian space official said.

The unmanned Progress M-52 spacecraft docked with the station on schedule at 23:10 Moscow time, said Valery Lyndin, a spokesperson for Russia's Mission Control in Korolyov, just outside Moscow.

The Progress craft was carrying about 2.5 metric tons of food, water, fuel and research equipment for Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov and US astronaut Leroy Chiao, who have been on the station since October.

Along with other cargo, the spaceship carries 50 snails intended for biological experiments. The cargo also includes some movies, CDs and other personal items for the crew.

Russian Soyuz crew capsules and Progress cargo ships have been the only link to the space station since the US shuttle fleet was grounded after the Columbia burned up as it returned to Earth in February 2003, killing all seven astronauts aboard. Nasa has said it plans to resume shuttle flights as early as May.

- AP