A Russian Soyuz rocket launches the automated Progress 66 cargo ship toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Feb. 22, 2017. The spacecraft is carrying 3 tons of supplies for the space station crew.<\/p>\n
The Russian space agency Roscosmos launched a robotic cargo ship early Wednesday (Feb. 22) on a mission to deliver fresh supplies to the International Space Station. <\/p>\n
The autonomousProgress 66 resupply shiplaunched into orbit atop a Soyuz rocket at 12:58 a.m. EST (0558 GMT), lifting off from a pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The cargo ship will arrive at the space station early Friday (Feb. 24). <\/p>\n
LIFTOFF! The Russian cargo craft leaves Earth to deliver supplies to the @Space_Station. Watch: https:\/\/t.co\/mzKW5uDsTi<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/QXe6vff3dF <\/p>\n \"Liftoff of the 66th Progress resupply vehicle outbound to the International Space Station,\" NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during live commentary. <\/p>\n The new spacecraft is due to dock itself at the station on Friday at 3:34 a.m. EST (0834 GMT).You can watch the Progress 66 docking live online, courtesy of NASA TV, beginning at 2:45 a.m. EST (0745 GMT). <\/p>\n A Russian Soyuz rocket launches the automated Progress 66 cargo ship toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Feb. 22, 2017 in this still from a NASA TV broadcast. <\/p>\n Progress 66 is Russia's first resupply mission to the space station since the loss of the Progress 65 cargo ship shortly after its launch on Dec. 1, 2016. <\/p>\n Wednesday's launch occurred just hours before another cargo ship,a SpaceX Dragon capsule, was due to arrive at the International Space Station. But the Dragon aborted its approach at a range of seven-tenths of a mile due to an incorrect value in the global positioning system software used to pinpoint the spacecraft's position relative to the space station, NASA officials said. <\/p>\n The Dragon capsule will attempt another rendezvous on Thursday (Feb. 23), NASA officials added. <\/p>\n The International Space Station is currently stocked with suppliesusing a fleet of robotic spacecraft. In addition to Russia's Progress vehicles and SpaceX's Dragon capsules, the station is also resupplied by Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft and Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicles. SpaceX's Dragon and Orbital ATK's Cygnus are privately built spacecraft that resupply the space station under contracts with NASA. <\/p>\n Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com<\/a> or follow him@tariqjmalikandGoogle+.Follow us@Spacedotcom,FacebookandGoogle+. Original article onSpace.com. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read the original post:<\/p>\n Russia Launches Robotic Progress 66 Cargo Ship to Space Station - Space.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Russian Soyuz rocket launches the automated Progress 66 cargo ship toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Feb. 22, 2017. The spacecraft is carrying 3 tons of supplies for the space station crew Continue reading