Russia launches cargo ship with food, supplies for the International Space Station

April 4 (UPI) -- Russia's space agency launched a cargo ship into space on Thursday morning. The express delivery was successfully received by space station crew just a few hours later.

The Russian Progress 72 cargo spacecraft launched at 7:01 a.m. ET, 4:01 p.m. Baikonur time. Just more than three hours later, at 10:21 a.m. ET, four minutes ahead of schedule, the craft docked on the Pirs compartment on the space station's Russian segment.

According to an update from NASA, the cargo ship docked while positioned 254 miles above central China.

The cargo ship arrived carrying 3.7 tons of food, supplies, equipment and scientific experiments.

"Progress 72 will remain docked at the station for about three months before departing in July for its deorbit in Earth's atmosphere," according to a NASA update.

This week's delivery was the first of three resupply missions. On April 17, Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket is scheduled to carry its Cygnus cargo spacecraft into orbit for a rendezvous with ISS. The mission will launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

The following week, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will carry its Dragon cargo ship into space for a third space station delivery. The mission will launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Base.