On the night of May 8, the Earth will fall to 3 tons of debris “Progress” – BBC News

Emergency “Progress M-27M” may spill on the Earth cosmic rain. At the same time to the ground after the descent from orbit and passage of the dense layers of the atmosphere can reach 10 to 40 percent of the mass of the cargo spacecraft – about 700 kilos to 3 tons.

“This material will be scattered on the long narrow a way that can extend several hundred kilometers. In view of the fact that under the orbit of the ship are large expanses of ocean, it is likely no one will see the fall “, – quotes the chief engineer and an expert on the fall of the cosmic fragments American corporation Bill AeroSpace Eylora” Interfax “.

Roscosmos expects drop in “progress” on May 8 at 0 hours and 45 minutes to 6 hours 36 minutes Moscow Time. Moscow and St Petersburg falling debris “progress” do not threaten – the latitude they are 51.6 degrees north. A possible area of ​​incidence of the spacecraft is between 51.6 degrees south latitude and 51.6 degrees north latitude.

According to the Russian Federal Space Agency, the flight path passes over Paris in France, then in Cologne in Germany, Krakow Poland. At the same time, captured Kiev and Kiev region in Ukraine.

itself flight path does not mean that small ship wrecks necessarily fall in these areas. Crucial point of entry of the ship into Earth’s atmosphere.

The Russian Space Agency stressed that in spite of the uncontrolled descent from orbit, the ship completely burn up in the atmosphere. Only small portions of the structural elements can reach the planet’s surface. Typically, such elements are ball-titanium cylinders. Such a ball-cylinders on the “progress” more than a dozen. They contain the oxidant, fuel, water, oxygen and other gases. There have been cases where such items have reached the Earth’s surface, and after a long time. For example, there was a mysterious metal ball falling from the sky in Brazil in February 2011. Launch vehicle to which he belonged, was launched in 1997.

The rocket “Soyuz-2.1a” with cargo “Progress M-27M” launched from Baikonur on April 28. At the moment of separation of the ship from the third stage of the rocket stopped receiving Russian MCC with a telemetric information.

After that, the ship began to rotate around its longitudinal axis and arbitrary and uncontrollable decline with an orbital altitude of about 270 kilometers and an apogee of 190 kilometers perigee.