Russia launches resupply ship to International Space Station

Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Russia successfully launched a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan on Thursday with a final destination of the International Space Station where it will deliver some 3 tons of supplies on the weekend.

The three-stage Soyuz-2 rocket launched as scheduled at 1:15 a.m. EST from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

It was late morning in Baikonur when liftoff occurred, and the rocket soared through sunny skies and 3 degree Fahrenheit weather as it rose toward the edge of the Earth's atmosphere.

Shaneequa Vereen, NASA public affairs officer, said during the live broadcast of the launch that once the rocket reaches preliminary orbit, the vehicle will be controlled by flight controllers in the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, Russia.

The unpiloted Russian cargo spacecraft is set to dock with the International Space Station early Saturday to resupply the seven-member Expedition 68 crew that is aboard the orbital.

The spacecraft is scheduled to automatically dock with the service module on the station's Russian segment on Saturday at 3:49 a.m. EST following its two-day, 34 orbit journey.

The resupply cargo aircraft is shuttling 2.8 tons on supplies to the station, including 3,501 pounds of propellant, 88 pounds of nitrogen, 926 pounds of water and 1,200 pounds of dry cargo, including spare parts, Vereen said.