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ISS Crew Stuck In Orbit While Russia Assesses Rocket

Posted by Soulskill on from the enjoy-your-extra-space-vacation dept.

astroengine sends word that the astronauts aboard the International Space Station will be staying up there longer than expected while engineers for Russia's space program try to figure out if it's safe to launch more rockets. The recent Russian cargo mission that spun out of control and eventually fell back into the atmosphere sparked worries that a vessel sent to retrieve the astronauts wouldn't make it all the way to the ISS's orbit. Roscosmos and NASA said the next rocket launch will be postponed at least two months. Even though the Russian cargo ship failed to reach the ISS, they have plenty of food, water, and air to last them to the next scheduled supply run — a SpaceX launch in late June.

5 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Elon Musk to the rescue once again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Is there anything that guy can't do?

    1. Re:Elon Musk to the rescue once again by peragrin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Considering that no one else has tried and succeeded means he is closer than everyone else.

      Now when he builds his own moon base can we call him an evil mastermind ?

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  2. Re:Get SpaceX crew-rated soon. by Dunbal · · Score: 3, Insightful

    While I am not an astronaut, the Kerbals have taught me that the tricky part of manned spaceflight is mostly the getting there. Coming back is pretty routine - in fact with just the tiniest amount of delta-v, it's unavoidable! I was under the impression that there is an "emergency" Soyuz capsule permanently docked at the ISS anyway for just this sort of contingency. But surely a "crew rating" would not be necessary to get an empty capsule using tried and tested tech (mercury, gemini, Apollo) up to them to ride back in. Oh, and GO KERBALS!

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  3. Re:Get SpaceX crew-rated soon. by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Coming back is pretty routine - in fact with just the tiniest amount of delta-v, it's unavoidable!

    Sure, but presumably people mean safely.

    Any clown can crash into the surface of the Earth in a spectacular fireball. I should think it's the keeping them alive part that's the tricky part.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  4. Gee another NASA fail by p51d007 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    For not having their own "capsule" system, they shelved in the 70's. Should have NEVER stopped upgrading Apollo.