Moscow: A Russian booster rocket is reported to have successfully launched an unmanned cargo ship to the International Space Station. As the two previous supply missions were failed, the crew behind it is anxiously awaiting for the aftereffect of the fresh launching. The mission was carried out by a Soyuz-U rocket which blasted off flawlessly from Russia-leased Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan. They could have placed the Progress M-28M
ship into a designated orbit, safely en route to the station. It is set to dock at the station currently manned by Russians Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko and NASA’s Scott Kelly. The Russian space agency Roscosmos said that the ship was carrying 2.4 metric tons of fuel, oxygen, water, food and other supplies required for the crew. The previous Progress launch was an absolute failure while a U.S. supply mission appeared failed when Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket was broken apart shortly after its takeoff. The mishaps were following the launch pad failure of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket which also was carrying station cargo for NASA. Despite the failures, NASA said that the station was well-stocked, with enough supplies for the crew and the same would last for some more months. According to the NASA sources, the trouble-free launch was essential for the ongoing station programs. Currently, the functioning of the station is being exclusively relied on Russian spacecraft for the transportation of the crews as the U.S. shuttle fleet still remains inactive. Space X is to meet the target of launching astronauts from U.S. soil again aboard the Falcon-Dragon combination in December 2017. The same would enable NASA to stop buying seats from Russia for taking astronauts to the space lab. Video on the Russian space ship launched to International space station
