Russian Progress 66 Cargo Ship Docks at Space Station – Space.com

The Progress 66 Russian cargo spacecraft, shown here approaching the International Space Station on Feb. 24, 2017.

A robotic Russian cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station early Friday (Feb. 24) to deliver nearly 3 tons of supplies to the orbiting laboratory.

The automatedProgress 66 supply ship docked at the space station at 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 GMT), parking itself at the station's Russian-built Pirs docking module. It is the second cargo ship to arrive at the station in as many days after aSpaceX Dragon capsule made its own delivery of 5,500 lbs. of supplies on Thursday.

The Progress 66 Russian cargo spacecraft (left) passes by the Soyuz MS03 crew vehicle already attached to the International Space Station, on Feb. 24, 2017.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos launched Progress 66 into orbit Wednesday (Feb. 22) using a Soyuz rocket that lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It was Russia's first cargo delivery to the space station since the loss of the Progress 65 supply ship on Dec. 1, 2016.

Russia's Progress vehicles and SpaceX's Dragon capsules are part ofa fleet of robotic spacecraft that deliver vital supplies to the International Space Station. Cygnus spacecraft built by Orbital ATK and Japanese H-2 Transfer Vehicles round out the current fleet.

Russian cargo craft docks to station at 3:30am ET (8:30am GMT) just one day after @SpaceX #Dragon arrived. https://t.co/mjkChPkNhK pic.twitter.com/49vWxe4cBi

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