A cargo shipment was delayed from docking at the International Space Station after Hurricane Ike forced the evacuation of the mission's control center in Texas. The Russian cargo ship was supposed to arrive at the space station after noon on Friday, but flight controllers with NASA's Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston postponed it until Wednesday.

Due to the approaching storm and the potential damage it could bring with it, both NASA and Russian officials agreed on Thursday that the best decision would be to temporarily postpone the docking procedure.

The cargo ship was maneuvered away from the International Space Station and set it in a safe orbit until Hurricane Ike ceases to be dangerous. The National Aeronautics Space Authority (NASA) already closed their Johnson Space Center, including Mission Control on Thursday September 11.

The Progress M-65 cargo capsule was launched from Kazakhstan on Wednesday with fuel, food, water, spare parts and other supplies for the 220-mile high orbital outpost.

The weather forecasters anticipated that Hurricane Ike could slam Texas with a speed of 130 mph as its destructive power is rated category 3. The meteorological department also warned that Hurricane Ike could generate a surge of 20 feet high and waves of 50 feet.

Progress M-65 would deliver some 2.5 metric tons of food, water, fuel and gifts on behalf of the crew’s loved ones.
"Apparently our American partners have some technical concerns, and of course spaceships are not this kind of area where you should rely on the off-chance. So, it's better to ensure ourselves against any risks," said Valery Lyndin, spokesman for Russia's Mission Control, by telephone for Reuters.