Space Travel

Last Updated: Saturday, 25 December, 2004, 17:57 GMT
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Food ship heads for space station
International Space Station
Floating in zero gravity can be a hungry business
An unmanned Russian spaceship carrying food is due to dock with the International Space Station, where supplies are running dangerously low.

The Progress craft was launched from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan early on Friday and is due to reach the ISS at 2331 GMT on Saturday.

It is carrying 2.5 tonnes of food, water, fuel and oxygen, and Christmas presents for the two crewmen.

Their mission will have to be aborted if the supplies do not reach them.

Russian and US officials were alarmed when they learned earlier this month how much food Russia's Salizhan Sharipov and Leroi Chiao from the US had got through.

They only have enough food supplies left to last them until mid-January.

Rules say that when there is less than 45 days' supply of food, water or air, the crew must prepare to evacuate.

Long mission

The crew has reportedly been ordered to cut back on meals to preserve their supply.

Russian space agency officials were quoted as saying they may still have to evacuate if the supply ship does not reach them.

But things were looking hopeful after the Progress M-51 successfully took off from the launching pad in Kazakhstan.

The craft entered orbit 200 km (124 miles) above the earth about nine minutes later.

The Russian cosmonaut and US astronaut are into their second month on the station.

Long-duration missions in space like the ISS demand a constant supply of consumable materials from Earth.

Russian spacecraft have supplied the ISS since the Columbia disaster in February 2003 brought a halt to flights by the larger US space shuttle.

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