Article Posted on : - Apr 29, 2010

A file photo of Russia's Progress spacecraft.

BAIKONUR (BNS): Russia has launched the Progress M-05M space freighter on a supply mission to the International Space Station.

A Soyuz-U rocket, carrying the cargo spacecraft, blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 21.15 Moscow time on Wednesday, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

The spaceship separated from the rocket at an altitude of 200 kilometers and reached its designated orbit. It is carrying 2.5-tonne supplies including equipment and food items which will be delivered at the ISS.

Progress M-05M is scheduled to dock with the space station on Saturday at 22.34 MSK, the space agency said.

Meanwhile, the Progress M-03M that had undocked from the ISS�s Pirs docking module last week, plunged into the Pacific at about 22.50 Moscow time on Tuesday.

The spaceship, the third of Russia's new generation of digitally controlled Progress craft, was launched on October 15, 2009 to deliver supplies at the orbital station.