Falling to Earth: unmanned Russian spacecraft 'has nowhere else to go'
Last edited Wed Apr 29, 2015, 12:14 PM - Edit history (2)
Source: The Guardian
A Russian spacecraft that is tumbling around the Earth after it malfunctioned en route to the International Space Station (ISS) could remain in orbit for more than a week before crashing down to Earth.
Thomas Reiter, director of human spaceflight and operations at the European Space Agency, told the Guardian that if Russian engineers could not regain control of the stricken vessel it could spiral down to Earth within the next 10 days.
The 7m-long Progress 59 vessel malfunctioned soon after it reached orbit on Tuesday and went into an uncontrolled spin. Flight controllers have so far failed to establish two-way communications with the spacecraft as it passes over Russian ground stations.
An official Russian space agency statement is expected later on Wednesday. Ahead of the statement, an official familiar with the situation told Agence France-Presse: It has started descending. It has nowhere else to go. It is clear that absolutely uncontrollable reactions have begun.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/apr/29/unmanned-russian-spacecraft-iss-plunging-to-earth-says-official
Live updates: http://www.theguardian.com/science/live/2015/apr/29/unmanned-russian-cargo-spacecraft-m-27m-falling-to-earth-live
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valerief
(53,235 posts)Demeter
(85,373 posts)although there is enough complexity in the design and operation to make problems all by itself.
Hoppy
(3,595 posts)MosheFeingold
(3,051 posts)And watched a rivet pop out in flight. I don't think they need hackers. They need less vodka and more quality control inspectors.
TexasProgresive
(12,159 posts)Since they have to rely on Russian vehicles to go up and down.
Lancero
(3,016 posts)I bet that gave astronauts a whole lot of real confidence in the program.
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)I shot an Arrow into the air
It fell to earth I know not where,
For so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breath'd a Song into the air
It fell to earth, I know not where.
For who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of a song?
Long, long afterward in an oak
I found the Arrow still unbroke;
And the Song from begining to end
I found again in the heart of a friend.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
JimDandy
(7,318 posts)BlueJazz
(25,348 posts)doubtingtom
(22 posts)I think my dark humor initial reply was to dark for this, so I'll simply say, gravity, what goes up, comes down, just don't hit me on the head, ok?
muriel_volestrangler
(101,390 posts)It's not designed to bring anything back to Earth. So the majro effect is the loss of the supplies, though they say it's not critical for the ISS.
Bosonic
(3,746 posts)Now there's a small chance that a particularly tough component will make it to land.
In other words, Toilet Seat Girl.
packman
(16,296 posts)For context of the video:
"Eighteen-year-old Georgia "George" Lass (Ellen Muth) is the show's protagonist and narrator. George dies early in the pilot episode and becomes one of the "undead", a "grim reaper". George soon learns that a reaper's job is to remove the souls of people, preferably just before they die, and escort them until they move on into their afterlife. George's death leaves behind her mother (Cynthia Stevenson) and the rest of her family at a point when her relationships with them were on shaky ground.
The show explores the experiences of a small team of such reapers, as well as the changes in George and her family as they deal with George's death."
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Response to Bosonic (Original post)
jwirr This message was self-deleted by its author.
chemenger
(1,593 posts)It is hard to imagine something falling up the gravity well.