Soyuz on the launch pad for critical station mission

The Russian Soyuz rocket, flying for the first time in the exact configuration that suffered a launch failure in August, was rolled to the pad Friday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome and aimed for blastoff Sunday toward the International Space Station.

Sunday's liftoff is scheduled for 6:11 a.m. EDT (1011 GMT) to deliver the Progress 45P cargo resupply vessel. Docking to the space station is expected Wednesday around 7:40 a.m. EDT (1140 GMT).

The freighter is carrying 2.9 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the orbiting outpost, including 1,653 pounds of propellant, 110 pounds of oxygen, 926 pounds of water and 3,108 pounds of spare parts, maintenance items and experiment hardware.

A successful launch is crucial to restore confidence in the Soyuz booster and clear the way for the next manned flight using the rocket in mid-November to keep the space station staffed with resident crews.

Credit: Roscosmos and Energia