The unmanned Progress M-49 vessel is carrying more than two and a half tonnes of supplies, mainly water, food and fuel, a spokeswoman for the TsUP flight control centre outside Moscow, Vera Medvedkova, told AFP.

The space ship blasted off at 1234 GMT and entered orbit on schedule. It is due to dock with the orbiting space station two days later on Thursday at 1354 GMT, Medvedkova said.

A two-man crew, US astronaut Michael Fincke and Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, began a six-month mission on the ISS on April 21.

SPACE.WIRE