The cause of the accident “progress” could be an explosion of the third stage of “Soyuz-2.1a” – RBC

The accident spacecraft “Progress M-27M” could be an explosion of the third stage carrier rocket “Soyuz-2.1a.” This Interfax source in the space industry.

On the eve of the Federal Space Agency said that according to preliminary reports, the accident was caused by depressurization of the oxidizer tank and the fuel tank of the third stage of the launch vehicle. The agency’s interlocutor said, opening the tanks – not the cause but the consequence of the other “more energy-intensive events” what could have been an explosion of third-stage engine.

He explained that it was due to the explosions formed several dozen fragments of the third stage. The source pointed out that the failure could have occurred in the control system.

The rocket “Soyuz 2.1a” the ship “Progress” was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the morning on April 28. After separation of the third stage, the truck stopped coming telemetry. “Progress” was not able to enter the calculated orbit. May 8, according to the Russian authorities, the space “truck” burned up in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.