Russia launches cargo ship to space station

Moscow, April 4 (IANS) Russia on Thursday successfully launched a Progress MS-11 unpiloted cargo resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos said in a statement.The launch of the spacecraft by the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket was carried out at 14.01 Moscow time (1101 GMT).The spacecraft, scheduled to dock with the ISS in three hours and 24 minutes after the takeoff, will deliver over 2.5 tonnes of fuel, condensed air and oxygen, water, food and other cargoes necessary for the operation of the station in manned mode, Roscosmos was cited as saying by Xinhua news agency.Two more cargo ships of the Progress type will be launched this year on July 31 and December 20.Another two cargo ships will deliver supplies to the station from the US later this month, NASA said in a separate statement.
--IANS soni/