MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. The Progress MS-21 space freighter, launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan in the early hours of Wednesday, docked with the International Space Station (ISS) about two days later.

The docking with the Poisk research module of the Russian ISS segment occurred at around 05:50 Moscow time on Friday.

From the earth, the process was controlled by Russian Mission Control center specialists, while Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin and Anna Kikina oversaw the docking from inside the space station.

Progress MS-21 was launched atop the Soyuz-2.1 carrier rocket that blasted off from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan on October 26. Its flight to the ISS was carried out under the two-day scheme. The space freighter is expected to remain docked with the orbital outpost for eight months.

The unmanned cargo spacecraft delivered over 2,500 kilograms of cargo to the ISS, including 702 kilograms of fuel, 420 kilograms of water, 41 kilograms of nitrogen and around 1,357 kilograms of various equipment.

It also brought fresh food and clothes for the ISS crew and filament coils for 3D printing on board the station.

The space freighter also carries New Year presents for the ISS crew, Russian cosmonaut and TASS special correspondent aboard the ISS Dmitry Petelin reported earlier. The presents were prepared by the cosmonauts’ family members and the psychological support team, and will be unboxed on New Year’s Eve.

The Progress MS is a family of uncrewed Russian spacecraft designed specifically to service orbital stations. It’s used to deliver various cargoes (fuel, scientific equipment, oxygen, water, food and others) to the ISS, as well as to adjust its orbit.