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Soyuz glitch delays docking at International Space Station Soyuz glitch delays docking at International Space Station
(about 3 hours later)
Engine problems have delayed the arrival of a Russian spacecraft carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station by almost two days.Engine problems have delayed the arrival of a Russian spacecraft carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station by almost two days.
A rocket carrying Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev and American Steve Swanson blasted off successfully early on Wednesday from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on what should have been a six-hour flight to the space station.A rocket carrying Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev and American Steve Swanson blasted off successfully early on Wednesday from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on what should have been a six-hour flight to the space station.
It entered a designated orbit 10 minutes after its 3.17am launch (9.17pm GMT) on Tuesday) but shortly before the Soyuz was due to dock, Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said a 24-second engine burn that was necessary to adjust its orbiting path "did not occur as planned" and it would now arrive at 11.58pm GMT on Thursday – two days and two hours after it left Earth. It entered a designated orbit 10 minutes after its 3.17am launch (9.17pm GMT) on Tuesday but shortly before the Soyuz was due to dock, Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said a 24-second engine burn that was necessary to adjust its orbiting path "did not occur as planned" and it would now arrive at 11.58pm GMT on Thursday – two days and two hours after it left Earth.
The head of Roscosmos, Oleg Ostapenko, said on Wednesday the crew was in good spirits and they had taken off their space suits to prepare for the long flight.The head of Roscosmos, Oleg Ostapenko, said on Wednesday the crew was in good spirits and they had taken off their space suits to prepare for the long flight.
Russian spacecraft used to routinely take two days to reach the orbiting laboratory before last year. Wednesday would have been only the fifth time that a crew would have taken the six-hour "fast-track" route to the station. Russian spacecraft used to routinely take two days to reach the orbiting laboratory before last year. This was meant to be only the fifth time that a crew would have taken the six-hour "fast-track" route to the station.
Russian officials would not immediately pinpoint the cause of the glitch. The Interfax news agency, however, quoted Vitali Lopota, chief of Russia's RKK Energia state-controlled rocket manufacturer, as saying that the failure of the spacecraft's software was to blame. They are looking into other possible causes, Lopota said. Russian officials would not immediately pinpoint the cause of the glitch. The Interfax news agency, however, quoted Vitali Lopota, chief of Russia's RKK Energia state-controlled rocket manufacturer, as saying that the failure of the spacecraft's software was to blame. Experts are looking into other possible causes, Lopota said.
The three astronauts traveling in the Soyuz will be greeted by Japan's Koichi Wakata, Nasa's Rick Mastracchio and Russia's Mikhail Tyurin, who have been at the station since November. Wakata is the first Japanese astronaut to lead the station. The new crew is scheduled to stay in orbit for six months. The three astronauts travelling in the Soyuz will be greeted by Japan's Koichi Wakata, Nasa's Rick Mastracchio and Russia's Mikhail Tyurin, who have been at the station since November. Wakata is the first Japanese astronaut to lead the station. The new crew is scheduled to stay in orbit for six months.
The joint mission is taking place at a time when US-Russian relations on Earth are at their lowest ebb in decades, but so far, tensions over Ukraine have been kept at bay. Since the retirement of the US space shuttle fleet in 2011, Nasa has relied on Russian Soyuz spacecraft as the only means to ferry crew to the orbiting outpost and back.The joint mission is taking place at a time when US-Russian relations on Earth are at their lowest ebb in decades, but so far, tensions over Ukraine have been kept at bay. Since the retirement of the US space shuttle fleet in 2011, Nasa has relied on Russian Soyuz spacecraft as the only means to ferry crew to the orbiting outpost and back.
Swanson is a veteran of two US space shuttle missions, and Skvortsov spent six months at the space outpost in 2010. Artemyev is on his first flight to space.Swanson is a veteran of two US space shuttle missions, and Skvortsov spent six months at the space outpost in 2010. Artemyev is on his first flight to space.