Article Posted on : - May 13, 2009

Russia 'Progress' M-02M cargo spacecraft. Photo credit: RIA Novosti

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia's unmanned 'Progress' M-02M cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station (ISS), on Tuesday said a spokesman for the Mission Control Center outside Moscow to Ria Novosti.

The 'Progress' M-02M blasted off at  19:23 GMT on Thursday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, is to deliver some 2.5 tons of supplies to the orbiter for the ISS three crew members.

The new spacecraft took five days instead of the usual two to reach the ISS as it underwent a number of flight tests en route to the orbital station.

A third newly designed Orlan-MK spacesuit was also delivered, and is expected to be tested by Gennady Padalka, the crew's Russian commander, during a spacewalk.

It is equipped with an on-board digital control system which enables the spacecraft to dock with the ISS more accurately.