Russian space control said the launch was made successfully at 0503 GMT from the Russian-controlled Baikonur space station in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

The Russia-made Progress craft with 2.5 tonnes of supplies was expected to dock with the ISS on Saturday at 0500 GMT.

It was the third liftoff for the ISS this year from the launch pad, this time also bringing movie DVDs of films made in Russian.

The former Soviet superpower is now the only link with the revolutionary station.

Supplies by the US space program were cut off after the United States halted its space exploration program following the February 1 Columbia shuttle disaster.

It hopes to briefly relaunch the shuttle project by next year before shutting it down for good and looking at new space options.

US astronaut Michael Finke and Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalk have been in space together since April 21, keeping the troubled station going while plans for expanding it have been scaled back.

While Russia and the United States have agreed to split the cost of getting people and materials to the ISS, the burden has in reality fallen on Moscow, Russian officials say.

Russia has since threatened to charge the US side for the space flights.

SPACE.WIRE