The Russian cargo spacecraft Progress M-27M is currently out of control after delivering supplies to the International Space Station and is plummeting to Earth. NASA footage shows the unmanned craft descending towards Earth’s atmosphere with little hope of regaining control over it.
“It has started descending. It has nowhere else to go,” an insider told news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). “It is clear that absolutely uncontrollable reactions have begun.” The insider also revealed that the Russian space agency will attempt to contact the craft again to ensure that it every effort is made to avert its uncontrolled fall to Earth, saying, “We have scheduled two more communication sessions to soothe our conscience.”
Good bye #Progress! Got up early today to see her leave… but I did go back to my sleeping bag afterwards 🙂 pic.twitter.com/Rz02QK8usl
— Samantha Cristoforetti (@AstroSamantha) April 25, 2015
The Russians lost communications with the craft, launched by a Soyuz rocket on Tuesday, soon after becoming spaceborne. Spokesperson for the Russian space agency, Mikhail Fedeyev, has refused to comment, rendering him utterly redundant.
http://youtu.be/28jJ3sANL1o
The crew of the ISS, who were due to receive a cargo shipment from the Progress on 30th April before control of it was lost, have been watching the spacecraft fall away. Commander Chris Hadfield, the Canadian astronaut and former Commander of the ISS, says that the Progress should burn up as it hits the Earth’s atmosphere, so there should be no concerns about falling debris impacting the surface of the planet.
Tumbling to Earth – Mission Control Moscow has had no luck contacting the Progress. It'll now slowly fall & burn up. pic.twitter.com/lbkJZq36bM
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) April 29, 2015
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