MOSCOW, June 17 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Progress M-53 cargo ship separated from the Soyuz carrier-rocket and started an independent flight to the ISS, a mission control center (MCC) official told RIA Novosti.

 "At 03:18, Moscow time, the cargo ship separated successfully from the Soyuz carrier-rocket and continues a controlled flight to the International Space Station," he said.

The cargo ship will deliver food supplies, fire-extinguishing and medical equipment, fresh clothing and means of personal hygiene to the ISS. In addition, the ship will deliver fuel supplies for direction boosters, potable and technical-usage water and scientific equipment. The total weight of the cargo is about 2.5 tons.

Docking of the cargo ship with the ISS in automatic regime is scheduled for Sunday, June 19, at 04:40, Moscow time.

Yesterday, experts from the Russian MCC successfully undocked a Progress M-52 cargo ship, which exhausted its resource, from the ISS and drowned it in the Pacific Ocean. Parts of Progress that did not burn up in the atmosphere landed at the "spaceship cemetery" located on the 40th parallel, near the Easter Island. The legendary Russian space station Mir was buried here in February 2000 after 15 years of orbital service.