Russia has offered to help the United States with deliveries to the International Space Station after an unmanned US supply rocket exploded on lift-off.
"If a request is made for the urgent delivery of any American supplies to the ISS with the help of our vessels then we will fulfill the request," said Russian space agency official Alexei Krasnov.
Mr Krasnov said that NASA had not yet asked for assistance.
An unmanned rocket owned by private firm Orbital Sciences Corporation exploded last night in a giant fireball.
It plummeted back to Earth just seconds after a launch from Wallops Island, Virginia on what was to be a resupply mission.
Orbital's Cygnus cargo ship was carrying 2,200kgs of supplies for the six astronauts living at the research outpost, a US-led multi-national collaboration.
Officials said the cost of the rocket and supplies was more than $200m (€157m), not including the damage caused on the ground.
Europe stopped delivering supplies to the ISS this summer and it is now resupplied by Russia and two NASA-contracted private US firms - Space X and Orbital Sciences.
Russia successfully launched its own supply mission from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan this morning.
The Russian cargo ship Progress took off for the ISS on a planned mission to replace a sister vessel.
Mr Krasnov said that the impact of the loss of the rocket on Russian operations at the space station would be "minimal".
