The uncrewed Russian Progress 81 is safely in orbit headed for the International Space Station following launch at 5:32 a.m. EDT (2:32 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The resupply ship reached preliminary orbit and deployed its solar arrays and navigational antennas as planned on its way to meet up with the orbiting laboratory and its Expedition 67 crew members.
After making two orbits of Earth on its journey, Progress will dock to the station’s Zvezda service module at 9:02 a.m. Friday, June 3. Live coverage on NASA TV of rendezvous and docking will begin at 8:15 a.m.
Progress will deliver almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the International Space Station.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
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Perfect launch .