FRANCE: Russia’s Progress spacecraft has burned up while entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Ten days after a number of system failures sent the spacecraft on an uncontrolled spin through space it has plunged into the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
According to the Russian Federal Space Agency, Progress made an entrance into the Earth’s atmosphere at 10:04 p.m. EDT on Thursday night over the central Pacific Ocean.
In a statement, NASA said, “The spacecraft was not carrying any supplies critical for the United States Operating Segment (USOS) of the station, and the break up and reentry of the Progress posed no threat to the ISS crew”.
The space agency said that both the Russian and USOS segments of the station are operating normally and have been adequately supplied well beyond the next planned resupply flight.
On April 28, Progress was launched on a supposedly six-hour journey to the International Space Station to deliver supplies.
According to NASA, following the liftoff, some navigational antennas on the spacecraft failed to deploy and problems were reported with the propulsion system.
Attempts were made to issue commands to the spacecraft when it passed over Russian ground control stations, but they were unsuccessful and prompted Russia to consider the spacecraft and its cargo a total loss.
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