Posted: Tue, Aug 21, 2001, 11:52 AM ET (1552 GMT)
A Soyuz rocket successfully launched early Tuesday a Progress cargo spacecraft carrying supplies for the International Space Station. The Soyuz lifted off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan at 5:24 am EDT (0924 GMT) and placed into orbit a Progress spacecraft, variously designed as Progress 5 or Progress M-45. The Progress is scheduled to dock with at the rear port of the station's Zvezda module Thursday morning: the Progress currently docked there will undock Wednesday morning and be destroyed by reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The Progress is carrying over two tons of supplies and propellant for the station and its new Expedition Three crew.

Related Links:

•  Reuters article
•  SPACE.com article
•  spaceflight.nasa.gov station information