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Russian rocket docks with ISS

July 5, 2015

A Russian space craft has successfully docked with the International Space Station, after a series of failures. The rocket is carrying oxygen, food and scientific equipment for the three astronauts on board the station.

https://p.dw.com/p/1Fsww
The Soyuz-U space launch vehicle rocket carrying the Russian cargo ship Progress M-28M launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Savostyanov/Tass

The rocket successfully completed its journey on Sunday, reaching the International Space Station (ISS) at just after 7 a.m. UTC. "The transport cargo ship Progress M-28M has docked with the…Russian segment of the ISS at 10.11am Moscow time (0711GMT)," a statement from Russia's space agency Roscosmos read.

On board the station the mood was even lighter, with the ISS' Twitter account posting the crew describing the mission's triumph as feeling "like Christmas in July." The ISS' crew of three is currently made up of Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko, along with US astronaut Scott Kelly. Writing on his personal Twitter blog about the mission, Kelly said "the third time's the charm," in reference to a number of recent failed attempts to resupply the station.

Last week, a Falcon 9 rocket, launched by privately-owned company SpaceX, exploded shortly after take-off. In April an earlier launch of the Progress craft failed, with the craft drifting out of control until it burned up in the Earth's atmosphere. Friday's trouble-free launch of the M-28M was welcomed by both Russian and American space agencies.

US space agency NASA has been quick to issue reassurances the ISS is well-stocked with enough supplies to last the crew until October.

The ship is carrying more than two metric tons of oxygen, fuel, food, water, scientific equipment and also personal packages for the men.

an/ng (AFP, AP, dpa)