Progress MS-26 resupply ship takes off from Baikonur for ISS

MOSCOW. Feb 15 (Interfax) - A Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle coupled with the Progress MS-26 resupply ship has blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Russia's Roscosmos said in a livestream.

The rocket took off from Baikonur Area 31 at 6:25 a.m.

The spaceship separated from the rocket's third stage at 6:33 a.m. and headed to the International Space Station (ISS). After a two-day flight, the spaceship will dock with the Zvezda module of the ISS Russian segment at 9:12 a.m. on February 17. Roscosmos said the spaceship would spend 180 days in orbit.

According to the Roscosmos mission materials, Progress MS-26 will orbit the Earth 34 times and its travel time to the ISS will be 50 hours and 47 minutes.

The resupply ship will bring about 2.5 tonnes of cargo to the ISS, including 1,478 kilograms of equipment and hardware for station systems, kits for scientific experiments, clothes, food, medical and personal hygiene products, 580 kilograms of fuel, 420 kilograms of drinking water and 40 kilograms of nitrogen, Roscosmos said.

It will also bring equipment for the Perspektiva-KM experiment to be installed outside the Poisk Mini Research Module during Russian cosmonauts' spacewalk.