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Russian space freighter docks with orbital station

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A Russian cargo spacecraft successfully docked on Friday with the International Space Station (ISS), a RIA Novosti correspondent reported from Russia's Mission Control.
KOROLYOV (Moscow Region), February 13 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian cargo spacecraft successfully docked on Friday with the International Space Station (ISS), a RIA Novosti correspondent reported from Russia's Mission Control.

The Progress M-66 docked with the orbital station on schedule at 10:18 a.m. Moscow time (07:18 GMT).

The spacecraft brought 2.4 tons of supplies, including oxygen, food, clothes and medical equipment for the ISS crew.

The current ISS crew comprises its U.S. commander, Michael Fincke, Russian engineer Yury Lonchakov and U.S. engineer Sandra Magnus.

The Progress M-66 took off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan at 08:49 a.m. Moscow time (05:49 GMT) on Tuesday on board a Soyuz-U carrier rocket.

For the first time in many years, the launch was conducted from launch pad No. 31, which is to serve as an alternative launch site for the main pad in Baikonur. The refit of the second facility was made necessary by Russia's record number of planned launches this year.

The Progress M-66 is one of the last cargo spacecraft equipped with analog control systems. The next generation of Progress vehicles will be digitally-controlled.

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