Doomed Russian Spacecraft Re-Enters Atmosphere Over Pacific Ocean 33
astroengine sends word that the Russian cargo ship that spun out of control after launching on a mission to the ISS on April 28 has re-entered the atmosphere somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Orbital tracking indicated the re-entry took place at 2:20 UTC. Its orbital speed and location were not known with perfect precision, but any bits of the spacecraft that didn't burn up are believed to have landed in the ocean between 350 and 1,300 kilometers off the west coast of Chile.
According to Spaceflight 101, "The component with the highest probability of reaching the ground is the docking mechanism of the spacecraft as one of the most dense spacecraft systems. The docking system hosts an 80-centimeter hatch that is surrounded by the docking interface hosting the hooks and pressure seals facilitated on a massive metal ring. Overall, the system has a mass of 200 Kilograms much of which could reach the ground since the closed hatch would most likely not separate from the docking system and the unit will return mostly intact."
According to Spaceflight 101, "The component with the highest probability of reaching the ground is the docking mechanism of the spacecraft as one of the most dense spacecraft systems. The docking system hosts an 80-centimeter hatch that is surrounded by the docking interface hosting the hooks and pressure seals facilitated on a massive metal ring. Overall, the system has a mass of 200 Kilograms much of which could reach the ground since the closed hatch would most likely not separate from the docking system and the unit will return mostly intact."
No I didn't! (Score:2, Funny)
Ha ha still here! Good luck finding me now, suckers!
- Progress M-27M
Re: (Score:3)
While NASA has been known to launch astronauts directly from Walmart, they tend to favor people in slightly better shape. That's the standard hatch size, and was used even on the shuttle. The US side of the ISS does in fact use a larger, 50 inch (note the nice round-number imperial measurement) square hatch - but that was to accommodate the equipment racks that are used in the US-designed modules.
Oceans on Earth (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
Are really, really big. Though the odds were in their favor Roscosmos dodged a bullet here.
Sounds more like a[n intercontinental] bullet dodged Chile.
Re: (Score:2)
Even if you hit land, the odds of it being inhabited land are extremely slim.
Re: (Score:3)
With a bit of luck (Score:1)
"the unit will return mostly intact." (Score:4, Interesting)
For *some* values of intact.
Free docking system!! (Score:2)
I call dibs!
Im gunna sing The Doom Song now! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Poor George Lass! (Score:2)
She's gonna get killed by a docking ring this time around.
Re: (Score:2)
I guess it's not as embarrassing as drilling a hole in your own head. Now THAT would be a humiliating death!
Look like one of my Kerbal mission... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Jebidiah will be sorely missed.
In my case it's more "the one that sorely missed Jebidiah will be sorely missed".
Slashdot the former tech and science site... (Score:1)
>> Orbital tracking indicated the re-entry took place at 2:20 UTC
"...or about 11 hours ago."
Kerbal (Score:1)
I don't read this story the same way since playing kerbal space program... Why didn't it have a parachute and some winglets?
What about the east coast? (Score:1)
Heh, west coast of Chile. As if there was another on the east side of the country....
KSP (Score:2)
Yeah, a lot of people are struggling to cope with the new aerodynamics model in Kerbal Space Program 1.0.