Russia launches Progress cargo ship to ISS

Russia has successfully launched an unmanned resupplying spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), the Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said Wednesday. The Progress M-23M was launched by the Soyuz-U carrier rocket on the fast-track mode which will take it to the ISS in six hours after the lift-off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur space center at 19: 26 Moscow time (1626 GMT), Roscosmos said. The spacecraft, which carries 2.5 tons of cargo containing water, food, fuel, oxygen, medical and scientific equipment, was placed on orbit nine minutes after the launch. It also carried 132 kg of U.S. consignment. This was the seventh space launch conducted by Russia this year. On March 26, manned Soyuz TMA-12M's fast-track travel to the ISS failed due to a glitch in the ship's guiding system, which led to a two-day delay of the docking. The ISS crew currently consists of six Russian, U.S. and Japanese members.