An unmanned Russian cargo ship has blasted off for the International Space Station, two days after the original launch was scrubbed.

The Progress capsule is carrying 2.7 metric tons (3 U.S. tons) of food, fuel and other supplies. It entered orbit eight minutes after liftoff Tuesday from the Russian space complex in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

The abandoned Sunday launch was intended to test a new regime for fast deliveries to the space station, docking less than four hours after launch. But Tuesday's launch will follow a longer route, with docking scheduled for Thursday.

There are six astronauts aboard the space station — three Americans, two Russians and one from Japan.