A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Progress M-UM space freighter and the Prichal nodal module blasted off from Launch Pad No. 31 (‘Vostok’) of the Baikonur spaceport to the International Space Station (ISS), a TASS correspondent reported from the scene.

In about nine minutes, the head unit comprising the space freighter and the module separated from the upper stage of the carrier rocket and embarked on its autonomous flight to the orbital outpost.

The flight to the ISS will take two days. The docking with the Russian Nauka multi-purpose laboratory module is expected at 18:25 Moscow time on November 26. Currently, the Progress MS-17 space freighter is parked at the Nauka module’s docking port. It is scheduled to undock from the orbital outpost at 14:18 Moscow time on November 25.

A total of 8.18 tonnes of payload will be delivered into orbit. Cosmonautics historian Alexander Zheleznyakov told TASS on Tuesday that the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket would deliver a record payload weight to the ISS.