BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Russia has launched a carrier rocket that will bring supplies to the International Space Station, including New Year's presents for the two crew members.
The Soyuz rocket, carrying the Progress-M55 cargo ship, blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan at 6:39 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time Wednesday, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
More than 2 metric tons of cargo is aboard the Progress-M55, including food and water, fuel and scientific equipment for the next expedition to the station.
The cargo ship is also carrying New Year's presents for U.S. astronaut William S. McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev, who have been aboard the ISS since October. Russians generally give presents for New Year's Day, not Christmas.
The spaceship is scheduled to dock with the ISS Dec. 23 at 7:54 p.m. GMT.
