Russian Supply Spacecraft crashes

Wow, so America has nixed its program for this. This is wonderful, isn't it. Great job there Prez. Someone didn't think things through.

Russian supply spacecraft crashes after launch

Published 08:05 p.m., Wednesday, August 24, 2011

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  TOPSHOTSA Russian Progress-M-12M cargo ship carrying supplies for the International Space Station (ISS) blasts off from the launch pad at the Baikonour cosmodrome on August 24, 2011.  TOPSHOTSAFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images) Photo: Stringer, STR / AFP

 

An unmanned Russian Progress spacecraft carrying nearly 3 tons of cargo to the International Space Station crashed Wednesday shortly after its launch.

The vehicle's loss has serious implications for NASA, which relies heavily on Progress vehicles to deliver supplies to the station. Moreover, Progress uses a launch system similar to that employed by the Soyuz spacecraft, which carries humans into orbit.

With the space shuttle's retirement last month, NASA uses the Soyuz craft exclusively to carry crew members to the space station.

Three astronauts, including American Dan Burbank, are scheduled to launch aboard a Soyuz vehicle on Sept. 21. Because of the investigation into Wednesday's crash, that may be delayed.

"'This has potential implications for the Soyuz launch in September," said Mike Suffredini, the Houston-based manager of the space station program.

The Progress mission, the first post-shuttle flight to the space station, launched normally at 8 a.m. CDT Wednesday, but about five minutes into the flight the vehicle shut itself down due to an "anomaly," Suffredini said.

The spacecraft did not reach orbit and later crashed in the Republic of Altai in extreme south-central Russia.

Three of the six crew members currently flying on the International Space Station - Expedition 28 commander Andrey Borisenko, Alexander Samokutyaev and Ronald Garan - were scheduled to return to Earth on Sept. 8 aboard a Soyuz already docked to the orbiting laboratory.

Their return may be delayed, as well, while Russia investigates the cause of Wednesday's accident. If future Soyuz launches are delayed long enough, the three crew members will be brought home without replacements, leaving only three astronauts on the station.

"We're perfectly able to operate the station with three crew members; we just won't get much research done," Suffredini said.

The loss of a Progress vehicle comes as several U.S. companies, including SpaceX, are racing to develop alternative supply vehicles. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to launch in November and berth at the space station in a demonstration flight.

Some politicians said Wednesday's incident highlights the need for NASA to boost funding for commercial companies seeking to more quickly provide alternatives to Russian supply and crew transport vehicles.

"I am calling on General Bolden, the NASA administrator, to propose an emergency transfer of funding from unobligated balances in other programs, including the Space Launch System, to NASA's commercial crew initiative," said U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. "Funding should be used to speed up the efforts of the four current industry partners to develop their systems."

But NASA's initial response seemed to be to downplay their concerns about the loss of a Progress vehicle, which heretofore has had an excellent safety record.

"Logistically speaking, we're in really good shape," Suffredini said of the space station.

In a worst-case scenario, the station's residents have enough food, water and other supplies to last until March without further launches, he said. And in addition to the Soyuz vehicle, the station's European and Japanese partners have built their own supply crafts.

 

 

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