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An unmanned Russian cargo ship is preparing to launch so that it can make the journey to re-supply the International Space Station.

The craft is scheduled for launch today from Kazakhstan, and will be carried by a Soyuz rocket. The cargo ship is expected to deliver two tons worth of goods to the ISS, consisting largely of air, food, and water. The supply ship is expected to dock with the station on Wednesday.

According to NewScientist.com,

Other supplies include a replacement "heat exchanger" which maintains the temperature in the US airlock - the existing one has rust. The station's toilet, which recently broke, will benefit from new valves, filters, and fungicide.

In addition, the cargo ship will ferry equipment to prepare for the next shuttle mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than 15 May. If shuttle Discovery launches on time, this Progress will be the last supply ship to the station before the shuttle's return to flight.

To facilitate the cargo's arrival, ISS crew members loaded the previous ship up with refuse and disengaged it from the station's dock. The discarded cargo transport is expected to burn up in the earth's atmosphere.

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