Russian Space Freighter Docks with ISS

The Progress M-14M space freighter launched on Thursday docked with the International Space Station (ISS) early on Saturday, the mission control said. The spacecraft docked with the ISS in an automated mode as scheduled, at 4:08 Moscow time [00:08 GMT]. The freighter delivered over 2.6 metric tons of supplies to Russian and U.S. crews of the ISS. The cargo includes fuel, water and food supplies, as well as scientific equipment. With a record of more than 130 launches since 1972 and only one failure, Progress-family freighters remain the backbone of the Russian space cargo fleet. In addition to their main mission as cargo spacecraft, they are used to adjust the ISS's orbit and conduct scientific experiments. The previous resupply vehicle, Progress M-13M, undocked from the ISS on Wednesday and, after successfully completing its mission to deliver the Chibis microsatellite, it was de-orbited and sunk in the Pacific Ocean.