The Russians informed about the loss of mission unmanned supply vehicle Progress M-27M.
April 28 at 9:09 CEST there was a Russian Soyuz rocket start-2.1az a supply vehicle unmanned Progress M-27M (Progress 59). Rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The purpose of this Progressa was the International Space Station (ISS) – on board the ship there are more than 2 tons of cargo, including food, equipment, gas, water and fuel. The flight to the ISS was to last less than six hours. The total takeoff weight Progressa M-27M has exceeded 4700 kg.
The first minutes of the flight the rocket Soyuz-2.1a proceeds smoothly. After working third-degree Progress has been released and unfolded solar panels, though probably not all antennas spread rate system. Shortly after entering orbit, it turned out that the Progress M-27M is malfunctioning. Contact with the ship was limited, and video images could be seen rapid turnover of the vehicle (about 5 seconds per revolution). During the first two orbits Progress M-27M lost a large part of fuel, although it is not known why.
In the first hours after the start of the various sources reported that the Progress M-27M was on the orbit of abnormal parameters, the perigee height of about 123 km and apogee height of 306 km. This information was denied about 12 hours after launch, when it turned out that the Progress M-27M went into orbit with a height of 188 x 260 km. For comparison – the optimal initial orbit for the Progress vehicles is about 193 km plus or minus 2 km x 238 km plus or minus 5 km.
Already on April 28 lost contact with the Progress and despite many attempts, which were also held on April 29 , failed to send any commands to the vehicle. It was decided to delay berthing to the ISS. Already on April 29 Russians confirmed that close to the ISS has been canceled and that there will be deorbitacji ship.
April 29 there was information that local Progressa M-27M identified 44 small objects. They are probably the remains of the upper stage rocket Soyuz-2.1a or Progress vehicle. Usually the separation of the upper stage of the vehicle to create a number of new objects (eg. Rejected guards), but this time there were many more. This suggests that some form of fragmentation, perhaps created by the collision of the upper level of the Progress M-27M. Some sources also suggest that operation at the end of the upper step has been to break the member for about 1.5 seconds before separation. This information was however not confirmed by any official source.
Currently, it is very likely that the Progress M-27M is no longer functioning – turn caused the exhaustion of on-board batteries. In early May should lead to uncontrolled deorbitacji this vehicle. Progressa rotary motion M-27M will certainly speed up the process of destruction of the vehicle during re-entry. It is therefore unlikely that any major elements have managed to penetrate the atmosphere and hit the ground. Deorbitacji exact date is not yet known, although it will probably be between 5 and 11 May.
The Progress M-27M is staying in orbit much lower than the ISS – the astronauts no possibility of danger. On board the ISS there is enough supplies of all kinds, that the crew can work normally. It is now certain that another flight supply ship – or another Progressa or capsule Dragon – will be accelerated. Lot capsule Dragon CRS-7 was scheduled for June 19, and the vehicle Progress M-28M on August 6. On August 17th the ship scheduled start of the Japanese HTV. These dates are likely to change.
On May 26 scheduled start of a manned capsule Soyuz TMA-17M on board which will be three astronauts. This capsule will be raised into orbit by a Soyuz-FG rocket, the upper stage is different from that used during the flight Progressa M-27M on the rocket Soyuz-2.1a.
It is worth noting that a lot of information about Progressa able M-27M is conflicting with each other. And there is no official reports of technical detail, making it difficult to verify the available information.
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