Related: ISS crew run low on food supplies 

Russian cargo ship launched to send supplies to ISS

   BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhuanet)-- Unmanned Russian cargo spaceship -- Progress M-51 -- docked with the International Space Station (ISS) early on Sunday, delivering vital food supplies and belated Christmas presents to ISS crew.

  

The International Space Station is seen from the US space shuttle Endeavour. Russia successfully launched cargo ship Progress M-51 early Friday morning from the Baikonur launch pad to deliver food and other cargoes to the International Space Station (ISS). (File)

The Progress M-51 cargo spaceship, which lifted off Friday from the remote Kaikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, arrived at the station around 2:58 a.m. Moscow time Sunday (2358 GMT Saturday).

    The spaceship carried about 2.5 tons of food, water, fuel, research equipment and Christmas gifts for Russian astronaut Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao who were running dangerously low on supplies. .

    The two crew, who have been on the station since October, had already had their meals rationed to conserve their dwindling supplies. 

    Russian Soyuz crew capsules and Progress cargo spaceships have been the only link to the space station since the February 2003 Columbia disaster, which killed all seven astronauts aboard.

    Relieved workers at Russian mission control broke into applause. The Nasa television commentator described the supply ship¡¯s ascent as a flawless two-day Christmas pilgrimage.

    Yuri Semyonov, the head of the company that built the Progress, said that the astronauts ¡°can greet the New Year calmly¡±.

    On board were supplies and Christmas gifts from the astronauts¡¯ families, including a belated Christmas dinner.