An unmanned spacecraft carrying 2.5 tons of supplies and 50 snails headed to the International Space Station Saturday after being launched from Kazakhstan.
The Russian-built Progress 25 spacecraft was fired into space Friday night atop a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, the space.com Web site reported. It will reach the space station Tuesday with its cargo of more than 5,000 pounds of food, fuel, air, water and other vital supplies and equipment.
The spacecraft's cargo also includes 50 snails to be studied in experiments on tissue regeneration in zero gravity, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.
The Institute for Medical and Biological Problems said the spacecraft carried a selection of movies on DVD -- mainly comedies -- requested by crewmembers and recommended by experts.
"The psychological support team is also sending several magazines and books requested by crewmembers," an institute spokesman said.
NASA said the Expedition 15 crew trained Friday with the telerobotically operated rendezvous system that would manually guide in the cargo craft for docking in the event its automated system encountered a problem.
The crew -- Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov and NASA astronaut Sunita Williams -- has been onboard the ISS since December.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
Related stories:
Shuttle gives space station a mile-high boost
(AP) -- Space shuttle Endeavour provided an orbital lift to the attached international space station on Friday as the astronauts encountered more problems with a new water recycling system.
Solar Wind Rips Up Martian Atmosphere
Researchers have found new evidence that the atmosphere of Mars is being stripped away by solar wind. It's not a gently continuous erosion, but rather a ripping process in which chunks of Martian air detach themselves from the planet and tumble into deep space. This surprising mechanism could help solve a longstanding mystery about the Red Planet.
Shuttle, astronauts prep for mid-mission reboost
(AP) -- Astronauts at the international space station prepared to work on a urine-recycling contraption and re-fire the space shuttle's thrusters Friday, before enjoying a half-day off to reboost their own energy.
Happy Birthday: Space station celebrates 10 years
(AP) -- NASA couldn't have staged it any better: 10 people in orbit for Thursday's 10th anniversary of the world's most elaborate and expensive housing project, the international space station.
Spacewalkers suit up for in-orbit cleaning job
(AP) -- Two astronauts face a tedious cleaning and lube job Tuesday, the first of a series of spacewalks to resurrect a massive joint that turns one of the international space station's power-generating solar-panel wings toward the sun.
Spacewalkers prepare for in-orbit cleaning job
(AP) -- Two astronauts face a tedious cleaning and lube job Tuesday, the first of a series of spacewalks to resurrect a massive joint that turns one of the international space station's power-generating solar-panel wings toward the sun.
It's unpacking day for astronauts at space station
(AP) -- Monday was unpacking day for the astronauts at the international space station. Among the top items to be hauled into the space station: a new toilet and a contraption that purifies urine and sweat into drinkable water at the orbiting outpost.
Astronauts prepare to unpack Endeavour's cargo
(AP) -- Astronauts aboard the international space station and the newly arrived shuttle Endeavour planned Monday to start unpacking a new toilet and a contraption that purifies urine and sweat into drinkable water at the orbiting outpost.