WASHINGTON, June 29 – RIA Novosti. The crew of the ISS again left without a load from the Earth because of the collapse of the American Falcon 9 rocket that exploded on Sunday during the launch into orbit of space truck Dragon.
© AP Photo / John Raoux
The rocket was launched on Sunday at 17.21 MSK from the spaceport at Cape Canaveral (Florida). The first two minutes after the start everything went normally, but after 2.5 minutes of rocket shattered into small pieces.
The investigation after the start
The investigation of the disaster began almost immediately after the explosion, the place of falling debris flew missile experts began the analysis of video and telemetry data collected during the start.
NASA stressed that the causes of accidents and their prevention in the future will be closely scrutinized. The investigation will be headed by the private company SpaceX – the developer of the missile and space of the truck, he will oversee the federal agency US civil aviation (FAA).
It is expected that at least a few months SpaceX refrain from space launches, the investigation also may take up to a year.
So far, even the versions about the cause of the disaster pushed almost was not. Only the owner of the company SpaceX, Elon Musk hurried businessman wrote in his microblog on Twitter, that shortly before the crash in a container with liquid nitrogen booster of the rocket had high blood pressure. For him, this will be a special day clearly – as reported by Forbes, on June 28, his birthday falls.
Musk hope in case of successful test launch technology save the first stage of the rocket reusable. The president of the concern Shortuell Gwen said at an emergency press briefing that “does not believe that the problem arose because the first step”.
Stocks and work and have enough
After a disaster, and the US The Russian space agency said that the life and work station crew were not in danger.
“This accident launch vehicle Falcon 9 will have no effect on the operation of the ISS. At present, the ISS has an adequate supply of all necessary for normal life and work of the members of the expedition ISS-44 “, – stated in connection with the accident in Roskosmos.
A similar position was expressed by the head of NASA, Charles Bolden, he said,” the astronauts aboard the station are safe, and they there was enough for a few months “.
At the Falcon 9 were lost materials for a variety of scientific experiments, but it does not leave the crew of a job. Now to the ISS are Russians Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Kornienko and American Scott Kelly.
“We will continue to work and study. It is a big loss, I do not want to underestimate (the disaster), but we are doing everything in order to be shape and to work “- said the head of the ISS program at NASA Mike Suffredini.
Falcon 9 was put into orbit Dragon space truck with cargo for the ISS. In addition to food and scientific materials in space waiting for a docking station for future connections with the American manned spacecraft and even the suit for American astronauts.
NASA assured that all losses are restored and delivered to the ISS in future freight flights . So, in August the Japanese ship is scheduled to arrive HTV.
The accident with the loss of the cargo was not the first such incident in recent months: in October last year, suffered a collapse of the US missile Antares, in May – the Russian “Soyuz-2.1a “.
The representative of the Russian Federal Space Agency, said after the accident that, if necessary, part of the American cargo can be delivered to the ISS on a Russian space truck” Progress “, which will fly on July 3 and had to dock to the station on July 5. NASA rejected the offer, but have not decided yet whether they will take advantage.
“Our Russian colleagues have loaded provisions, water and other essentials for the crew in the” Progress “, it is very important for us”, – said the head NASA ISS program at a press conference.
“I can not remember anything that would be so important to us that we were looking for the opportunity to immediately transfer it to the Russian colleagues … if there is, I am sure it is will be small (in size), “- he told reporters.
Flying private companies continue
After the fall of missiles produced by a private company, there was a fair question, do not undermine the NASA’s faith in the private sector such a catastrophe? The answer is not long in coming: the head of the agency Charza Bolden, SpaceX “for the six previous cargo missions to the ISS showed extraordinary possibilities” and NASA “knows that they can repeat this success”.
As I stated in the Communications expert US Planetary Society (The Planetary Society), Jason Davis, “it is unlikely that (incident) will have a significant impact on space exploration by the private sector. The fact that SpaceX is a leading company in this field, only shows that neither the company nor the state is not immune from setbacks at the start “.
He said that if the company is at the proper level to investigate and return to flight, NASA will continue to demonstrate their confidence in her and other private partners. Bolden confirmed this, saying that “today’s launch attempt will not turn us away from the ambitious (program) human spaceflight.” According to the NASA William Gershteymayera until the schedule according to which the first manned mission to take place at the end of 2017, remain in force.
The private company SpaceX contract with NASA pledged to implement until 2016. 12 launches to the ISS. In addition to the contract for delivery of cargo to the ISS in September 2014, along with Boeing, it has won a contract worth about $ 6.8 billion for the implementation of manned missions to the ISS. It develops its own manned spacecraft on the basis of the cargo capsule Dragon and hopes to use to launch a rocket Falcon.
What is the Falcon 9
Falcon 9 (“Falcon 9″) – American disposable raketa- support families Falcon, developed by a private company SpaceX. It is assumed that the missile can be used for the delivery of space, goods, and people. Under the contract with SpaceX NASA undertook until 2016 to carry out 12 launches to the ISS. In September 2014, along with the Boeing company has won a contract worth about 6.8 billion dollars for the implementation of manned missions to the ISS. Read more in Help RIA Novosti & gt; & gt;
The rocket Falcon 9 can also be used to launch into space of commercial manned spacecraft (PKA) Dragon and its cargo analogue designed to deliver cargo to the ISS. These ships also developed by SpaceX. Read more in Help RIA Novosti & gt; & gt;
What other emergency occurred with the spacecraft in the US
The collapse of the Falcon 9 was the third cosmic catastrophe in the United States in recent years. At the end of October 2014 at the start of exploded rocket Antares, a few days later during a test flight crashed ship suborbital SpaceShipTwo. Read more in Help RIA Novosti & gt; & gt;
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