Russia to launch 'Progress' spacecraft to deliver supplies to International Space Station on Friday

NASA

Washington: Russian resupply ship to the International Space Station 'Progress 60' will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:55 a.m. EDT (10:55 a.m. Baikonur time) on Friday, July 3, according to NASA.

Progress will deliver more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the Expedition 44 crew aboard the space station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying its Dragon cargo ship exploded shortly after takeoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Sunday, June 28.

The Dragon cargo ship was carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear to the space station, including a large parking space, known as an International Docking Adaptor, designed to make it easier for an array of commercial crew spacecraft to dock at the orbiting lab in the future.

With the complete loss of SpaceX rocket, the crew now turns its attention to the launch of the Progress cargo vessel.

Progress is scheduled to dock to the space station at 3:13 a.m. Sunday, July 5.

This is the first Progress launch since the loss of the ISS Progress 59 cargo spacecraft following its liftoff from Baikonur on April 28 this year.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of the unmanned Progress spacecraft to the International Space Station.