Cargo Crafts Successfully Dock With ISS

[AlphaAtlas]

Following the failure of a manned launch to the ISS, the future of Earth's only manned space station has been brought in to question. The US. and Russia simultaneously launched unmanned resupply missions to the ISS over the weekend, and fortunately, both of them made it to the space station. Russia's "Progress" launch was particularly good news, as it marks the first successful launch of the type of rocket used to ferry astronauts to the ISS since the manned failure. Meanwhile, NASA launched an Anteres rocket Saturday morning, and the cargo craft arrived a mere 15 hours after the Russian one. Following the successful launches, the next manned launch is still scheduled for December 3.

Check out a video of the Soyuz launch here.

The launch Friday of the Progress MS-10 supply ship was the first flight of the Soyuz-FG variant of Russia's venerable Soyuz rocket family since a failed launch Oct. 11 led to the emergency landing of a two-man crew minutes after liftoff from Baikonur. Russian commander Alexey Ovchinin and NASA flight engineer Nick Hague safely landed downrange in Kazakhstan after a malfunction during separation of one of the Soyuz first stage boosters. The successful Soyuz-FG launch cleared the way for the liftoff Dec. 3 of the next station crew, led by veteran Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko with Canadian flight engineer David Saint-Jacques and NASA astronaut Anne McClain, both spaceflight rookies.