Space

Food ship docks in space

KOROLYOV, Russia - An unmanned cargo ship on a vital supply mission docked early Sunday at the international space station, carrying badly needed food for a U.S.-Russian crew that has been forced to ration dwindling supplies.

The Progress M-51 - also carrying Christmas presents from families and friends - moored at the orbiting station at 2:58 a.m. (6:58 p.m. EST Saturday), officials at Russian mission control outside of Moscow said.

The spaceship, which lifted off Friday from the remote Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan , was carrying about 2.5 tons of food, water, fuel and research equipment for Russian Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao. Included among the scientific equipment is a German-made robotic device.

Food stocks have shrunk dramatically since the two took over at the station less than two months ago, causing alarm among Russian and American space officials.

NASA has said the men only have enough food to last two weeks beyond Christmas and would have to return to earth early if the supply mission wasn't successful. But officials at Russian Mission Control in Korolyov, just outside Moscow, sought to play down concerns, saying the crew had enough food for another month.

The crew had already been ordered to cut back on meals because of the food shortage, and the ITAR-Tass news agency said that there was no turkey for Christmas dinner.

Russian Soyuz crew capsules and Progress cargo ships have been the only link to the space station since the U.S. shuttle fleet was grounded after the shuttle Columbia burned up on re-entry in NASA has said it plans to resume its shuttle program in May.

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