A Russian unmanned cargo spacecraft Progress M-13M carrying supplies for the International Space Station (ISS) blasts off from the Russian leased Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome, on October 30. The supply ship has docked safely at the ISS, completing the first mission since the loss of a similar vessel raised questions about its space programme.
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 Roskosmos 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.
(c) 2011 AFP
