(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off yesterday to deliver a cargo ship loaded with food, water and equipment to the International Space Station, breaking a string of launch failures, a Nasa TV broadcast showed.
The Progress capsule, carrying more than three tonnes of supplies, was expected to reach the orbiting outpost tomorrow following launch at 12.55am EDT (0455 GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
"All of the systems on the Progress (are) in excellent shape," said Nasa launch commentator Rob Navias.
Yesterday's liftoff came five days after a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded after launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The accident destroyed a Dragon capsule carrying about 2,200kg of food, science experiments and equipment, including a docking system for two new space taxis under development by SpaceX and Boeing. On April 28, a Russian Progress capsule failed to separate properly from the upper-stage of its Soyuz launcher, dooming the mission. Unable to reach its intended orbit, the capsule incinerated as it re-entered the atmosphere on May 8.
Another launch accident on Oct. 28 by Orbital ATK destroyed a Cygnus cargo capsule bound for the station, a $100bn research laboratory that flies about 418km above Earth.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.