Article Posted on : - Nov 03, 2011

A Progress spacecraft in orbit. File photo: NASA.

MOSCOW (AFP): A Russian supply ship docked safely at the International Space Station on Wednesday, completing the first mission since the loss of a similar vessel raised questions about its space programme.

The unmanned Progress spacecraft docked at the ISS bearing more than 2.6 tonnes of food, basic supplies and scientific experiment material, Russia's Roscosmos space agency said.

It was the fourth cargo transporter to dock to the ISS this year, but the first since an August 24 incident saw its predecessor plunge back to Earth after a problem with its Soyuz-U rocket.

That failure resulted in the temporary grounding of the Soyuz, the mainstay of the Russian space programme and raised questions about Russia's status as the sole nation capable of taking humans to the ISS after the retirement of the US shuttle.