Experts: “Progress” will crash to Earth Friday – BBC Russian

• 7 May 2015

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spacecraft “Progress” is used to supply the space station for nearly 40 years,

The cargo ship “Progress M-27M”, which a few days ago began an uncontrolled descent from orbit, will fall back to Earth on Friday, experts predict.

It is assumed that most of the ship will burn at entry into the dense layers of the atmosphere and to the surface of the fly so far only a relatively small fragments.

The wreckage seems to fall into the sea rather than on land. According to the forecast of the Russian Space Agency, “Progress” will cease to exist from 1:23 to 11:55 Moscow time.

The exact place of falling debris unmanaged ship, according to representatives of agencies, can only be determined for the day.

At the same time, According to the Joint Space Operations Center US Strategic Command, the cargo ship enters the atmosphere at about 16:30 Moscow time.

The US military believe that the area of ​​falling debris will be at coordinates 35 degrees north latitude and 113 degrees west longitude, ie, near the Pacific coast of the United States.

The rocket “Soyuz” with the cargo ship “Progress” was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on April 28. During the separation of the ship from the third stage of the rocket flight control center stopped receiving telemetric information.

The docking with the ISS was scheduled for 16:07 Moscow time, but the ship has not been able to establish contact, “Progress” aired on Earth incomplete telemetry and quickly spun around its axis, and then began to decline uncontrollable.

reserves are sufficient

On board the ship there were 2.5 tons of cargo, including 500 kg of fuel, 50 kg of air, 420 kg of water, and oxygen tanks and equipment, as well as consumables – elements for toilets, power supply systems, water reclamation, and other air-conditioning.

However, Even after the loss of “progress” in the ISS remains enough supplies to hold out until the arrival of the next cargo ship, which is scheduled for June 19.

According to the Russian Federal Space Agency, the cost of the lost ship is estimated at 2.59 billion rubles ( 50.7 million dollars).

The rocket “Soyuz” with the cargo ship “Progress” was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on April 28

The spacecraft “Progress” is used to supply the Soviet, Russian and international space station for nearly 40 years.

They cabin crew “Salyut-6″, ” Salyut-7 “,” Peace “and the International Space Station.

” Progress “have proven to be very reliable machines – the history of the operation since the late 1970s of the last century was lost only one machine.

August 24, 2011 “Progress”, which was carrying more than two tonnes of supplies and equipment for the six astronauts working on the ISS, fell in just a few minutes after the launch from Baikonur.