CAPE CANAVERAL: A Russian supply capsule that went into an uncontrollable spin after launch was declared a total loss Wednesday, but astronauts at the International Space Station said they will get by without the delivery of fresh food, water, clothes and equipment.
“We should be OK,” NASA astronaut Scott Kelly assured the Associated Press. “I think we’re going to be in good shape.”
Kelly and Russian Mikhail Kornienko, the space station’s one-year crew members, said during an interview that flight controllers had given up trying to command the cargo carrier. NASA and the Russian Space Agency later confirmed the news.
The unmanned Progress vessel, bearing 3 tons of goods, began tumbling when it reached orbit Tuesday, following launch from Kazakhstan. The head of Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, Igor Komarov, cited a lack of pressure in the main block of the propulsion system in the decision to abort the mission.
Kelly said the craft would fall out of orbit and reenter the atmosphere. Russian reports indicated a reentry possibly next week.
The capsule is expected to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, as is the case for all Progress carriers, once they have delivered their shipments and are filled with trash.
“The program plans for these kinds of things to happen. They’re very unfortunate when they do,” said Kelly, one month into a yearlong mission, which will be a record for NASA.
NASA officials want a six-month supply of food on the space station, but because of the Orbital Sciences accident, the reserves are down a month or so.
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