Russia Launches Progress MS-05 Cargo Spacecraft to International Space Station

The Progress MS-05 space freighter has separated from a Soyuz-U carrier rocket, a spokesperson of Russia's Mission Control Center told Sputnik on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia launched the Progress MS-05 space freighter to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome earlier in the day. It was the final flight of a Souyz-U rocket that has been in use since 1973.

"The separation occurred at the estimated time. The docking of the cargo spacecraft with the International Space Station is scheduled for 11:34 Moscow time [08:34 GMT] on February 24," the spokesperson said.

The Progress MS-05 will deliver about 2.5 metric tons of various cargos to the International Space Station, including scientific equipment, fuel, water, food supplies and medicines for the crew.

On December 1, the Progress MS-04 space freighter burned up in the atmosphere after a faulty launch on board a Soyuz-U carrier rocket.