ISS orbit successfully corrected at the second attempt – RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, May 18 – RIA Novosti. Re-attempt to correct the orbit of the International Space Station on Monday night completed successfully. As predicted experts, the failure is not allowed to adjust the orbit on Saturday, persists.

The current orbit correction was needed to create optimal conditions for the return of the three members of the ISS crew to Earth in June and scheduled for early July start next to the station cargo ship.

The initial failure

Engines “progress” at the first attempt to orbit correction on Saturday night did not start for reasons not clarified yet.

It was reported that, according to preliminary data, the onboard computer of the Russian segment of the ISS in the quest for the correction of the orbit received information about unavailability of engines “progress” and blocked the operation.

But experts are not regarded as an unsuccessful attempt to correct PE – for their view, correct to talk about failure.

“It’s not an emergency. It happens – rarely, but it happens. Nothing wrong there – most likely, there was an error in programming. Reprogram and again hold correction next week no problem there is no “- then said RIA Novosti chief editor of” Space News “Igor Marinin.

On Saturday specialists to understand the causes of failure, the date of a new attempt was called on May 18.

successful replication

Engines cargo spacecraft “Progress M-26M” were included in 3.30 MSK Monday and worked in 1922 seconds. As a result of the maneuver the average height of the ISS increased by 2.8 kilometers.

Thus, the conditions for returning home Roscosmos cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerova, European astronaut Samantha Kristoforetti and US astronaut Terry Vertsa.

In addition to these, now the ISS working Russians Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko and American Scott Kelly.

It was originally planned that the crew will return to Earth on May 14. But after the incident with the space truck “Progress M-27M” they will have to stay at the station until about the middle of June.

The upgraded carrier rocket “Soyuz-2.1a” with the cargo ship “Progress M-27M” launched from “Baikonur” on April 28. Branch ship from the third stage carrier passed abnormally, the space truck turned into an unplanned orbit in the strong twist, docking with the ISS had to be canceled. Attempts to “Progress M-27M” under control nor to no avail: he began uncontrolled descent of orbit. May 8 truck ceased to exist over the central Pacific Ocean.