MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian cargo
spacecraft has successfully separated from its carrier rocket
and is heading toward the International Space Station (ISS)
according to schedule, Russia's Mission Control official said
on Tuesday.
Progress M-66 took off from the Baikonur space center in
Kazakhstan at 8:49 a.m. Moscow time (05:49 GMT) on board a
Soyuz-U carrier rocket.
"The separation of the spacecraft was carried out on
schedule and in line with regular procedures," the official
said.
The spacecraft, which is carrying 2.4 tons of supplies,
including oxygen, food, clothes and medical equipment for the
crew, is due to dock with the ISS at 10:19 a.m. Moscow time
(07:19 GMT) on February 13.
The current ISS crew comprises its U.S. commander, Michael
Fincke, Russian engineer Yury Lonchakov and U.S. engineer
Sandra Magnus.
Progress M-66 is one of the last cargo spacecraft equipped
with analog control systems. The next generation of Progress
vehicles will be digitally-controlled.
The launch was conducted for the first time in many years
from launch pad No. 31, which is to serve as an alternative
launch site for the main pad in Baikonur. The refit of the
second facility was made necessary by Russia's record number of
planned launches this year.
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