![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]()
Mowscow (AFP) Jan. 23, 2001 The Progress cargo ship, which is due to steer Russia's ageing Mir space station to destruction, will blast off early Wednesday, Russia's space control said Tuesday. The supply ship will be launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 0429 GMT Wedneday and is scheduled to dock with the 15-year-old orbiter on Saturday at 0530 GMT, a spokesman said. Russian space chiefs had to delay the planned launch of Progress on Thursday after Mir developed last-minute problems with its orientation system. The destruction of the Soviet-era station envisages Progress lowering Mir's orbit to 80 kilometres (50 miles), causing it to enter the dense layers of the atmosphere where most of it will burn up. Debris is expected to fall into the Pacific Ocean up to 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) off the coast of Australia on March 6. The decision to bring down Mir follows several glitches in recent years, including a serious fire and a near-fatal collision with a cargo ship in 1997. Russia has found that its commitment to the new International Space Station (ISS) has stretched its budget to breaking point. Unable to support both space projects, it decided last November to abandon Mir. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
![]() ![]() NASA's Constellation Program is making progress toward selecting a prime contractor to design, develop and build the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), America's first new human spacecraft in 30 years. |
![]() |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |