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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain
Russia launched a resupply rocket to the International Space Station on Thursday. This is one of the rare Russo-American projects that have continued since Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
The Russian Space Agency announced on its Telegram channel that the Soyuz 2 rocket carrying the Progress MS-26 cargo ship was launched from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, and aired a video of the launch.
The rocket was scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Saturday, the agency added.
The mission is to deliver fuel, food, and scientific equipment to the seven people currently on the space station.
There are three Russian cosmonauts, two American cosmonauts, one Danish and one Japanese expert.
In December, the Russian and US space agencies agreed to extend joint flights to the ISS until 2025.
Russia announced in July 2022 that it would withdraw from the ISS program after 2024.
Russian cosmonauts reside permanently on the space station and play an important role in its functioning. However, the creation of a new Russian space station has been presented as a priority for Moscow.
The ISS was built by Russia, the United States, Europe, and Japan, and assembly first began in 1998.
It was scheduled to remain operational until 2024, but the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced that it may continue operating until 2030.
