The International Space Station's six astronauts count on Soyuz rockets to carry them to and from the station as well as deliver supplies. Photo Credit/NASA
A Russian Progress supply craft bound for the International Space Station crashed back to Earth early Wednesday, potentially impacting future crew as well as cargo transportation activities aboard the orbiting science lab — barely a month after NASA retired the space shuttle.
The Progress 44, carrying nearly 5,900 pounds of propellant, water, compressed air and spare parts, lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome inKazakhstanat 9 a.m. EDT. Some 325 seconds into flight, an unexplained third stage anomaly in the Soyuz-U version of the venerable rocket forced a premature shutdown that sent the unpiloted supply capsule crashing into the Altai Region of Russia.
Russia was forming an investigation board that was likely to include U. S.participation, though the format was unclear, Mike Suffredini, NASA’s space station program manager, told a news briefing.
The Progress loss followed the conclusion of NASA’s final shuttle flight on July 21, a successful 13-day supply mission to the International Space Station The Atlantis crew left the orbital outpost stocked with enough supplies to keep the station staffed by a half dozen full time astronauts through 2012.
The food, spare parts and other supplies launched aboard Atlantis were intended to bridge the gap between the shuttle’s retirement and regular deliveries of cargo by a pair of emerging U. S.commercial suppliers, SpaceX and Orbital Sciences. But management of the gap depended on regular Progress deliveries as well.
The first SpaceX attempt to launch and berth an uncrewed Dragon supply capsule with the station is tentatively scheduled for December. An inaugural Orbital Sciences flight is planned for 2012.
“Obviously, this has implications for the vehicle on orbit and the crew,” said Suffredini, who estimated the station could likely operate through March – without further deliveries.
Additional Progress missions were tentatively set for late October and late December launchings prior to the crash.
The Soyuz that launched the Progress also shares a similar third stage with the Soyuz-FG rockets that launch U. S., European, Japanese and Canadian as well as Russian crews to the station.
The investigation and recovery may well impact the return of a three-man U. S.and Russian station crew to Earth scheduled for Sept. 8, after 156 days in orbit. They are scheduled to be replaced by another three-man U. S.and Russian crew that is currently scheduled to launch on a Soyuz spacecraft on Sept. 21.
Three U. S., Russian and Japanese astronauts also currently on board the space station are slated to return to Earth on Nov. 16, after 162 days.
The Soyuz capsules were designed to remain docked to the station for up to 210 days — making lengthy extensions for the return of all six astronauts currently on the station possible.
NASA astronaut Ron Garan and cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrey Borisenko, left to right, may be forced to postpone their Sept. 8 return to Earth. Photo Credit/NASA
Station managers would slide the intervening Soyuz launch as well in a bid to keep six fulltime crew aboard the station for as long as possible.
The full crew is essential if NASA and its partners are to increase the scientific research and technology demonstrations envisioned during the near 13-year assembly and outfitting of the station.
NASA is also fostering the development of U. S.commercial crew transportation services for the space station under the agency’s Commercial Crew Development initiative. However, the initial commercial launchings of space station astronauts is not anticipated until 2015-16.