The unmanned Progress M-53 vessel is carrying more than two and a half tonnes of supplies, mainly water, food and fuel, as well as packages from home for Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalyov and US astronaut John Phillips.

The cargo also included audio tapes with nature sounds for the ISS crew, as they "have positive psychological influence on the cosmonauts who have to work in closed space for half a year," chief of the psychological support team of Russia's biomedical problem institute, Olga Kozerenko, said as quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

The Progress would also deliver several popular movies, both classic and new, and a load of snails from Georgia for a series of scientific experiments.

The space ship is due to dock with the orbiting space station Saturday.

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