MOSCOW, June 19 (Xinhuanet) -- A Russian cargo spaceship successfully docked with the international space station (ISS) early on Sunday with more than 2.5 tones of supplies, the Russian Mission Control said.

    The Progress M-53, which lifted off at 3:10 a.m. Moscow time (2310 GMT) on Friday, was carrying some 2.5 tons of food, water and packages from families for Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov and US astronaut John Phillips.

    Krikalyov and Phillips have been working on the space laboratory since April.

    The Progress also carried 111 kilograms of oxygen, fuel and Russian and Japanese scientific equipment for experiments and was loaded with components to fix the Elektron oxygen generating system, which has broken down.

    Russia's space program has been the space station's lifeline for more than two years since the suspension of US shuttle flights after the Columbia disaster. US shuttle Discovery is scheduled to lift off between July 13 and 31 after multiple delays over safety concerns.

    The ISS jettisoned more than one ton of space trash a day earlier to make room for the new supplies. Enditem