December 26, 2004

The crew of International Space Station received badly needed supplies on Christmas day from an unmanned Russian spacecraft, enabling the mission to continue.

Without the supplies, the mission would have been abandoned.

The supply ship brought all important food supplies, as well as fuel, oxygen, water, spare parts, presents from family members and other supplies crucial to continuing the mission.

Progress, the Russian supply ship was used due to the unavailability of the US space shuttle, because of the loss of Columbia earlier this year.

Astronaut Leroy Chariot and Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov had been consuming up to 10 percent fewer calories every day after a food inventory audit showed supplies were dangerously low.

The replenished food supplies should provide the crew with enough food for 112 days, which is more than twice the amount required until the next supply ship arrives with more supplies in March.

If the Russian supply ship Progress didn't complete its mission, the crewmen would have had to abandon their mission and return to Earth on a Soyuz space capsule that brought them to the International Space Station in October.