Russian Soyuz U launch Space Station Supplies

A Russian rocket lifted-off on time this morning carrying fresh supplies and fuel for the five member crew of the International Space Station.

A Soyuz U LV rocket launched into the beautiful, but cold blue skies of Baikonur Cosmodrome in western Kazakhstan at 10:45:30 pm EST Tuesday evening (345 GMT) or 9:45:30 am Baikonur time this morning.

The rocket darted upward and eastward out toward Mongolia carrying the Progress M-04M unmanned supply vehicle -- the 36th cargo filled vehicle bound for the space station.

Loaded with some 5,600 pounds of supplies such as fuel, water, food, personal crew items, experiments and hardware, the Progress solar arrays deployed minutes after reaching orbit.

Following a two day orbital ballet and rendezvous, the Progress is scheduled to automatically dock with the Russian Zevezda service module section of the station on Thursday evening at 11:26 pm EST (426 GMT).

Space station Russian cosmonauts Maxim Suraev and Oleg Kotov will assist with the cargo ship's docking, and take over manually if the auto sequencer fails to bring the ship into a proper docking alignment.

Commander Jeffery Williams and Flight Engineers Soichi Noguchi (Japan) and T.J. Creamer round out the space station's Expedition 22 crew of five.