Scientists prepare the Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM 2) "Poisk" for flight at Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome on November 3. A Soyuz rocket carrying the new Russian-made module for the International Space Station blasted off from the Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan.

A Soyuz rocket carrying a new Russian-made module for the International Space Station blasted off on Tuesday from the Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan, television pictures showed.

The Poisk (Search) module, also known as the Mini-Research Module 2, will provide additional facilities for scientific experiments aboard the orbiting space station, Russia's space agency said in a statement.

Russian news agencies quoted the space agency as saying that the launch had been successful, and state television images showed the rocket flying smoothly into the night sky.

The unmanned Progress spacecraft carrying the new module, along with food and water supplies, is due to dock with the ISS on Thursday at 1544 GMT.

(c) 2009 AFP

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