Date:25/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/25/stories/2004122500591500.htm

International

Food being sent to ISS

MOSCOW, DEC. 24. A Russian cargo ship blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome early today carrying equipment and provisions for the international space station, where supplies for the two crew members have dwindled, Russian news agencies reported.

The Progress M-51 took off from the remote cosmodrome in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 1:19 a.m. Moscow time and entered orbit 200 km above the earth about nine minutes later, ITAR-Tass and Interfax news agencies said.

The ship was scheduled to reach the station on Sunday morning with about 2.5 tonnes of food, water, fuel and research equipment for the Russian cosmonaut, Salizhan Sharipov, and the U.S. astronaut, Leroy Chiao, who are in their second month on the station. NASA officials said there was food to last seven to 14 days beyond Dec. 25 if the supply ship did not arrive and called the situation `critical.'