The Progress docking probe has retracted and hooks and latches have engaged, firmly anchoring Progress M-17M to its port at the International Space Station where the freighter will remain parked through April 18.

The official elapsed time from liftoff to docking was 5 hours, 52 minutes. Docking in the autopilot mode occurred as the space station flew more than 250 miles above Bogota, Colombia.

The crew will open the hatchway and ingress the freighter early Thursday.

DOCKING. The speedy supply ship known as Progress M-17M has docked to the Zvezda module of the International Space Station, completing a same-day launch and rendezvous demonstration to deliver a fresh load of provisions, spare parts and rocket fuel for orbiting laboratory complex.

This trek from the Baikonur pad to the outpost took just four orbits and less than six hours versus the usual 34 orbits and 50 hours.

The freighter is carrying nearly three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the orbiting outpost, including 2,050 pounds of propellant for the station's Russian maneuvering thrusters, 62 pounds of oxygen, 42 pounds of air, 926 pounds of water and 2,738 pounds of spare parts, maintenance items and experiment hardware.

The Russian flight control team has given approval for the final approach to commence a few minutes ahead of schedule.

Progress has completed the flyaround to reach the approach corridor and align with the docking port. It's now in the stationkeeping hold while controllers verify all is in readiness for final approach.

The Progress spacecraft is nearing the International Space Station for docking a little more than a half-hour from now at 9:40 a.m. EDT. You can watch live NASA Television coverage right here on this page.

The Progress spacecraft carrying three tons of provisions for the International Space Station will intercept the complex for docking just six hours after launch.

Today's successful liftoff occurred at 3:41 a.m. EDT -- the moment when the Earth's rotation brought the Baikonur pad into alignment with the space station's orbital plane and when the phase angle was precisely acceptable to perform the ascent.

For the previous two-day pursuits, the phase angle could be up 300 degrees and the station flying as much as three-quarters of an orbit ahead of the Progress. Conducting this single-day launch and rendezvous is enabled through good orbital mechanics, a very narrow phase angle and the station only 963 miles ahead at the time of launch. The rendezvous also puts four large engine burns occurring in short order today versus spreading those out over a couple of days in the normal profile.

This "rapid rendezvous" is the second demonstration to shorten the usual 50-hour trek to just 6 hours, a plan that could be implemented on Soyuz crew capsule ascents to dramatically lessen the time astronauts spend cooped up in their cramped spacecraft en route to the orbiting laboratory.

The rendezvous burns begin with a 57 mph firing at 4:25 a.m. and a 44 mph change in velocity at 5:08 a.m. EDT. A pair of 16 mph burns will occur at 5:45 and 6:17 a.m. EDT.

If those maneuvers fall short of targets, flight controllers have until about 7 a.m. EDT to default back to the 34-orbit rendezvous plan for docking on Friday. The automated rendezvous sequence starts at 7:15 a.m. EDT to control the activities via autopilot.

A 38 mph impulse is planned for 7:35 a.m. and a small 3 mph impulse is expected around 7:56 a.m. EDT, followed within minutes by activation of the Kurs rendezvous equipment on both the Progress and space station to guide the linkup. A 66 mph burn comes up at 8:22 a.m.

The two spacecraft should be within 60 miles of each other by 8:28 a.m., closing to less than 10 miles by 8:50 a.m. when a KURS test is conducted to verify proper range rate and closure speed data is being registered.

The television camera on the nose of Progress will be turned on at 8:56 a.m. to provide views of the docking.

A series of maneuvers between 9:04 and 9:12 a.m. will dramatically slow the freighter's closure rate, ultimately leading to the spacecraft beginning a flyaround of the space station at 9:15 a.m. to align with the Zvezda service module's docking port.

After a stationkeeping hold by the vessel to ensure all is in readiness for docking, the spacecraft will commence final approach at 9:30 a.m. for docking about 10 minutes later.

The linkup should occur at 9:40 a.m. EDT, mid-way through a orbital daylight pass.

Watch this page for live updates and streaming video of docking starting at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).

The craft has completed a programmed sequence to deploy the power-generating solar arrays, as well as antennas for navigational and communication systems.

T+plus 9 minutes. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The Progress M-17M cargo ship is flying free after the upper stage finished its engine firing and then separated away. The spacecraft is headed for a docking with the International Space Station just hours from now at 9:40 a.m. EDT, employing a new "rapid rendezvous" procedure to shorten the trip from 34 orbits to only 4.

T+plus 8 minutes. About a minute remains in the propulsion by the upper stage. The motor consumes kerosene and liquid oxygen just like the Soyuz rocket's other powerplants.

T+plus 7 minutes. The four-nozzle engine of the upper stage continues to burn normally to inject the spacecraft into orbit.

T+plus 6 minutes. Soyuz's upper stage is firing to propel the spacecraft into a stable orbital perch around Earth. No problems at all reported during this ascent.

T+plus 5 minutes. The core stage of the Soyuz rocket has shut down and separated, leaving the upper stage to complete the job of injecting the Progress M-17M freighter into orbit.

T+plus 4 minutes. The core motor continues to fire on its propellant mixture of kerosene fuel and supercold liquid oxygen. Everything still going well in the climb to orbit.

T+plus 3 minutes. The launch shroud has been jettisoned from the atop the Soyuz rocket to uncover the Progress M-17M freighter.

T+plus 2 minutes, 10 seconds. The four strap-on boosters clustered around the Soyuz rocket's main stage have burned out and separated. The core motor continues to fire.

T+plus 60 seconds. Good performance one minute into this ascent for the Soyuz rocket with the unmanned cargo ship.

T+plus 30 seconds. The rocket is heading on course to reach the space station in just four orbits' time for docking at 9:40 a.m. EDT today.

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Russian Progress M-17M cargo craft on a sprint to the International Space Station!

T-minus 25 seconds. The first umbilical arm has separated from Soyuz. The second will retract in the next few seconds.

T-minus 1 minute and counting. Now running on internal power.

T-minus 2 minutes and counting. Rocket propellant tank pressurization is underway. The vehicle's onboard measurement system is activated. Oxidizer and fuel drain and safety valves of the launch vehicle have been closed.

T-minus 3 minutes and counting. The nitrogen purge of the combustion chambers of side and central engine pods of the rocket is being performed in preparation for ignition.

T-minus 4 minutes. The launch key has been inserted in the bunker for liftoff.

T-minus 5 minutes and counting. Liftoff will be originating from the same historic launch pad where the first man in space -- Yuri Gagarin -- was launched in 1961.

T-minus 6 minutes. The automatic program for final launch operations is being initiated.

T-minus 8 minutes and counting. Flight data recorders have been activated and the vehicle's gyroscopes are in flight-ready status.

T-minus 10 minutes and counting. This Progress M-17M spacecraft will dock to the International Space Station today and remain parked there through April 18 at the Zvezda service module.

T-minus 15 minutes and counting to the middle-day launch from Baikonur. Liftoff is set to occur at 1:41 p.m. local time.

T-minus 20 minutes. This is the fifth and final planned Russian-provided cargo vessels for the International Space Station in 2012. That supply change is augmented by Europe's ATV, Japan's HTV and the new U.S. commercial firms.

T-minus 25 minutes. The freighter is carrying nearly three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the orbiting outpost, including 2,050 pounds of propellant for the station's Russian maneuvering thrusters, 62 pounds of oxygen, 42 pounds of air, 926 pounds of water and 2,738 pounds of spare parts, maintenance items and experiment hardware.

T-minus 30 minutes. This is the 49th Progress cargo ship for the International Space Station dating back to 2000.

Good day and welcome to our live launch coverage of the Progress M-17M cargo craft en route to the International Space Station for docking later this morning.

This "rapid rendezvous" is a second demonstration to shorten the usual 50-hour trek to just 6 hours, a plan that could be implemented on Soyuz crew capsule ascents to dramatically lessen the time astronauts spend cooped up in their cramped spacecraft en route to the orbiting laboratory.

Liftoff is coming up at 3:41 a.m. EDT (0741 GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Today's docking to the aft end of the station's Zvezda service module is targeted for 9:40 a.m. EDT (1340 GMT) for delivery of 2.9 tons of fuel and supplies.

The Soyuz rocket booster topped with the Russian-made resupply ship was transported by train from the final assembly building to the launch pad on Monday. It was hydraulically lifted upright onto the pad for the start of final preparations for this 49th cargo mission in support of the international outpost.

Welcome aboard! The newest residents have floated into the International Space Station from their Soyuz capsule for the formal ceremony. Also participating via a live communications linkup are the VIPs gathered on the balcony in Russia's mission control center outside Moscow.

The hatchway between the Soyuz spacecraft and the station was opened at 11:08 a.m. EDT.

The outpost's Expedition 33 crew is comprised of three Russians and two Americans and a Japanese astronaut. The outpost is back to the full 6-person-strong operating team.

The docking probe on the front of Soyuz has retracted, allowing the hooks and latches to close and form a seal between the capsule and station. Pressure and leak checks will be performed over the next orbit before the hatchway is opened for the crew to enter into the station at 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT).

The docking occurred about 6 minutes early as the space station flew above southern Ukraine at an altitude of 254 miles.

Over the next few minutes, the Soyuz docking probe will retract to allow hooks and latches to bring the spacecraft to a firm seal with the station. Hatches between the two vehicles will be opened around 11:15 a.m. EDT.

DOCKING! The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft has docked to the Poisk module of the space station, delivering NASA astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin to the international outpost for their 143-day mission.

The new Expedition 33 residents join commander Suni Williams of NASA, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

A dozen feet remaining.

The capsule remains on course and lined up for docking. A steady, stable approach using Soyuz's automated rendezvous system continues.

Now inside 50 feet and closing.

Range down to 65 feet. Soyuz is in good alignment.

Just over 100 feet to go. No reports of any issues this morning.

The range between Soyuz and station is about 130 feet, closing 0.4 mph.

Inside 250 feet.

Now 328 feet, closing at 1.1 miles per hour.

Now 472 feet to docking, closing at 1.9 mph.

A few minutes ahead of schedule, the Russian flight control team has given approval for the final approach to commence.

Soyuz is holding 660 feet away.

The Soyuz completed the flyaround to align with the docking port. It's now in the stationkeeping hold about while controllers verify all is in readiness for final approach.

The capsule is completing a roll maneuver as part of the sequence to orient itself and solar wings for docking.

Range to docking inside 700 feet.

Closing at 0.4 miles per hour now.

Soyuz is flying itself around the international outpost of 112 degrees to get into the approach corridor leading to the Poisk module's docking port.

Just 820 feet separate the two craft now.

The Soyuz is less than 1,000 feet from the station, closing at 1.5 miles per hour.

Having completed breaking maneuvers, the range is 1,600 feet, closing at 2.9 miles per hour.

The Soyuz is 1.6 miles from the station.

The Soyuz spacecraft with NASA astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin is nearing the space station for docking a little under an hour from now at 8:35 a.m. EDT. You can watch live NASA Television coverage right here on this page.

The Soyuz spacecraft carrying three new residents for the International Space Station continues on its course to intercept the orbiting complex for docking Thursday morning.

Soyuz TMA-06M was launched Tuesday at 6:51 a.m. EDT, the precise moment when the Earth's rotation brought the Baikonur pad into alignment with the International Space Station's orbital plane, riding its three-stage booster into a preliminary orbit of 152 by 123 miles, tilted 51.6 degrees to the equator.

The automated rendezvous sequence aboard the Russian-built crew transport capsule begins at 6:11 a.m. EDT to control the activities via autopilot.

The day's first key engine firing is planned for 6:32 a.m. and another impulse is expected around 6:55 a.m. EDT, followed within minutes by activation of the Kurs rendezvous equipment on both the Soyuz and space station to guide the linkup. Another burn comes up at 7:19 a.m.

The two spacecraft should be within 60 miles of each other by 7:16 a.m., closing to less than 10 miles by 7:45 a.m.

The television camera on the nose of Soyuz will be turned on at 7:51 a.m. to provide views of the docking.

A series of maneuvers between 8:00 and 8:08 a.m. will dramatically slow the Soyuz's closure rate, ultimately leading to the spacecraft beginning a flyaround of the space station at 8:11 a.m. to align with the Poisk module's docking port.

After a stationkeeping hold by the Soyuz to ensure all is in readiness for docking, the spacecraft will commence final approach at 8:24 a.m. for docking about 11 minutes later. Soyuz commander Oleg Novitskiy will be standing by to take over manual flying of the spacecraft if required.

The linkup should occur at 8:34 a.m. EDT, just before the end of an orbital daylight pass.

The hatch opening and welcoming ceremony aboard the station is expected around 11:15 a.m. EDT.

Watch this page for live updates and streaming video starting at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

Two rookie cosmonauts and a NASA shuttle veteran rocketed into orbit aboard a Russian Soyuz ferry craft Tuesday and set off after the International Space Station. Joining them were 32 medaka fish, bound for a zero-gravity research aquarium aboard the lab complex.

Read our launch story.

Following a flawless climb to orbit with no issues or problems reported, the crew has been given clearance to open helmet visors and loosen their seat belts.

See our Facebook page for images of the countdown and launch!

NASA astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin have arrived in orbit following launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Activities upcoming over the next few hours include opening the hatchway into the capsule's living compartment where the crew can remove their spacesuits, pressurization of the Soyuz propellant tanks and two orbit adjustment maneuvers. The trio of crewmates should begin their sleep period in the mid-afternoon U.S. time.

That pair of maneuvers this morning will be followed by another one Wednesday to put Soyuz on the proper trajectory for Thursday's rendezvous and docking with the space station.

The exact liftoff time today was 6:51:10.934 a.m. EDT

The craft is completing a programmed sequence to deploy the power-generating solar arrays, as well as antennas for navigational and communication systems.

T+plus 9 minutes. CAPSULE SEPARATION! The Soyuz spacecraft is flying free after the upper stage finished its engine firing and then separated away. The capsule is in pursuit of the International Space Station for a planned docking around 8:35 a.m. EDT on Thursday.

T+plus 8 minutes. About a minute remains in the propulsion by the upper stage. The motor consumes kerosene and liquid oxygen just like the Soyuz rocket's other powerplants.

T+plus 7 minutes. The four-nozzle engine of the upper stage continues to burn to inject the spacecraft into orbit.

T+plus 6 minutes, 45 seconds. Everything is normal aboard the spacecraft, the crew reports as the Soyuz rockets toward space.

T+plus 6 minutes, 15 seconds. Pitch, yaw and roll are reported nominal.

T+plus 6 minutes. Soyuz's upper stage is firing to propel the spacecraft into a stable orbital perch around Earth on the two-day trek to catch the International Space Station.

T+plus 5 minutes. The core stage of the Soyuz rocket has shut down and separated, leaving the upper stage to complete the job of injecting the Soyuz capsule into orbit.

T+plus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The crew reports everything is in order aboard the spacecraft for launch.

T+plus 4 minutes. The core motor continues to fire on its propellant mixture of kerosene fuel and supercold liquid oxygen.

T+plus 3 minutes. The safety escape tower and launch shroud have been jettisoned from the atop the Soyuz capsule.

T+plus 2 minutes, 10 seconds. The four strap-on boosters clustered around the Soyuz rocket's main stage have burned out and separated. The core motor continues to fire.

T+plus 60 seconds. Good performance one minute into this ascent for the Soyuz rocket and its three-person crew from the Kazakh launch base. Flight engineer Evgeni Tarelkin is strapped into the left-hand seat, Oleg Novitskiy is in the center seat for his role as the Soyuz commander and astronaut Kevin Ford is riding in the right-hand seat.

T+plus 30 seconds. The Soyuz rocket has maneuvered on course for a rendezvous with the space station almost 50 hours from now.

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of three humans on their way to the International Space Station!

T-minus 30 seconds. The first umbilical arm has separated from Soyuz. The second will retract in the next few seconds.

T-minus 1 minute and counting. The Soyuz has been placed on internal power.

T-minus 2 minutes and counting. Rocket propellant tank pressurization is underway. The vehicle's onboard measurement system is activated. Oxidizer and fuel drain and safety valves of the launch vehicle have been closed.

T-minus 3 minutes and counting. The nitrogen purge of the combustion chambers of side and central engine pods of the rocket is being performed in preparation for ignition.

T-minus 4 minutes. The launch key has been inserted in the bunker for liftoff.

T-minus 5 minutes and counting. Soyuz has switched to onboard control, the ground measurement system and the capsule commander's controls are being activated.

T-minus 6 minutes. The automatic program for final launch operations is being initiated.

See our Facebook page for images of the countdown and launch!

T-minus 9 minutes and counting. The crew has closed its helmet visors.

T-minus 10 minutes. The crew inside the Soyuz capsule are starting recorders to collect data during launch.

T-minus 14 minutes and counting. The Soyuz telemetry systems are being activated. They will relay real-time data back to Earth during today's launch.

T-minus 17 minutes. Now in the launch count, realignment of the Soyuz rocket's trajectory control system and checks of internal batteries should be complete. The Soyuz telemetry system will soon be activated and monitoring of Soyuz's thermal control system also will begin.

The emergency escape system is being armed. The system would be employed if a major malfunction occurs, propelling the Soyuz capsule off the top of the rocket to safety.

Retraction of the two-piece service structure that has enclosed the Soyuz rocket during its stay at the launch pad is underway as the towers rotate to a horizontal position. Several other umbilical arms connecting the rocket to the ground will be retracted at various times later in the countdown.

T-minus 30 minutes and counting. The crew has completed leak checks of the Sokol launch spacesuits with no problems reported.

T-minus 60 minutes and counting. Kevin Ford, Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeni Tarelkin were awakened about eight hours ago to begin launch day activities. They signed the doors at crew quarters and received religious blessings before boarding a bus that took the three crewmates the 25-mile distance into the cosmodrome. They donned their white Sokol launch and entry suits, met with officials from their respective space agencies and then headed for the pad. Crowds of well-wishers gathered to wave goodbye as the crew reached the rocket. An elevator took the trio up to the capsule-level of the tower to begin climbing aboard the cramped spacecraft.

T-minus 75 minutes. Kevin Ford becomes the 24th NASA astronaut to launch aboard the Russian Soyuz dating back to Norm Thagard in 1995. Two of those astronauts have gone up twice, making this NASA's 26th "seat" reserved in the capsule flights to both the Mir and the International Space Station. In addition, six Americans have paid to fly on the spacecraft as tourists to the ISS.

NASA crew members have routinely used the Soyuz to access the International Space Station since 2003 in the wake of Columbia, when full Expedition rotations were shifted away from the space shuttle and over to the Russian spacecraft.

T-minus 90 minutes. The Soyuz rocket is fueled, the crew has traveled to the launch pad and the countdown is progressing toward liftoff of the space station's Expedition 33 crew from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 6:51 a.m. EDT.

Rolling by rail at sunrise Sunday, a Russian Soyuz booster arrived atop a Baikonur launch pad that will host its first manned launch in 28 years when two cosmonauts and an American astronaut blast off Tuesday.

Liftoff of the Expedition 33 crew from the Site 31 launch pad at the cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is scheduled for 6:51 a.m. EDT (1051 GMT).

It will be the first human liftoff from that pad since July 1984 when Soyuz T-12 was sent to the Salyut 7 space station. It was first used in 1968 with the Soyuz 3 spacecraft.

Going up Tuesday will be Soyuz TMA-06M bound for the International Space Station to begin a 143-day mission of science and operations at the orbiting outpost.

At the controls of the capsule will be Oleg Novitskiy, 40, a colonel in the Russian Air Force making his first spaceflight.

He will be joined by Evgeni Tarelkin, 37, a captain in the Russian Air Force and also a spaceflight rookie.

Their NASA counterpart and slated to become commander of the space station during the Expedition 34 increment next month is Kevin Ford, 51, a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force and former pilot of space shuttle Discovery in 2009.

The trio will dock to the space station's Poisk module on Thursday around 8:35 a.m. EDT, joining current residents Suni Williams, Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide.

The Soyuz rocket and its TMA-06M capsule, mounted horizontally on a railcar, journeyed along a winding route from the integration facility to the pad Sunday.

Hydraulic pistons lifted the rocket upright on the pad and gantry swing arms moved into position to enclose the vehicle. Technicians on four levels hooked up electrical and telemetry cables between the rocket and pad.

"Absolutely beautiful day for a rollout today, the weather is just perfect. Watching the sun rise on the rocket is just phenomenal," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for human exploration and operations.

"I look at the launch pad, I look at the preparation, I look at the teams here getting ready to go launch this rocket and I just have the utmost respect for them and the work they are doing to get this rocket ready to go to the space station."

Following liftoff of the three-stage, liquid-fueled booster, the capsule will be inserted into a preliminary orbit within nine minutes and begin the two-day pursuit to intercept the station, executing a series of engine firings to rendezvous with the outpost and commence an automated final approach. Docking comes nearly 50 hours after launch.

"The goal of the flight is to fly a safe and productive flight and carry out the plan that the increment managers put out there for us. We have a lot of visiting vehicles that will come and go. It could be up to, including our arrival and departure, maybe 13 traffic movements," Ford said in a pre-flight NASA interview. "The purpose of that is really to get the science going; now we're in the utilization phase and getting the science rolling at full speed, so we've done a lot of preparation in anticipation of the science we’re going to be doing."

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