2011-01-30 15:39

MOSCOW - Russian cargo spacecraft Progress M-09M successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday morning, the Russian Mission Control Center (MCC) said.

The MCC spokesman Valery Lyndin said Progress M-09M docked with the ISS at local time 5:38 am (GMT 0238), delivering to the ISS 2,666 kilograms of fuel, oxygen, food, books and birthday gifts for the expedition crew.

The spacecraft also delivered to the space station a Kedr mini-satellite, which was made by Russian university students. The satellite was designed to transmit greeting messages in 15 languages, photos about earth and telemetry data from its service systems.

On Friday, a Soyuz-U booster rocket carrying the Progress M-09M lifted off from Baikonur space center to the ISS.

Progress-family freighters have been the backbone of Russian space cargo fleet for decades. Friday's launch of Progress M-09M was the first time in this year.

In all, Russia plans to send six Progress ships to the ISS in 2011.