Russia launches cargo ship to int'l space station

MOSCOW, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Russia successfully launched the Progress MS-22 cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos said.

The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:15 a.m. Moscow time (0615 GMT), Roscosmos said in a press release.

The spacecraft separated from the third stage of the rocket, and its antennas and solar panels opened normally. The ship is scheduled to dock to the ISS on Saturday.

The Progress MS-22 will deliver over 2.5 tons of cargo to the ISS, namely 720 kg of fuel, 420 liters of drinking water, 40 kg of nitrogen and 1,354 kg of various equipment and materials.