back to article MAYHEM in ORBIT: Russian cargo pod spins OUT OF CONTROL

Russian space boffins have lost control of a Progress cargo capsule which had been due to deliver 6,000lb of supplies to the International Space Station. The crazy podule is spinning and tumbling in orbit above the Earth as controllers try to establish contact with it. Youtube video The Progress 59 space-mule lifted off …

  1. Grikath
    Facepalm

    "rotational spin"...

    really?

    1. starbaby

      Re: "rotational spin"...

      As opposed to a rotational "hokey-pokey" I suppose.

    2. DNTP

      non-rotational spin

      "Uhh… control? We… umm… have optically acquired SAT-1 but it's… I guess, spinning in a non-rotational manner? Over."

      "Signals, please clarify the axes of spin, over."

      "Control, SAT-1 appears to be spontaneously and continually inverting it's own structure around a point we conjecture to be the center of mass. We can see containers and parcels from the cargo bay ejecting in all directions, over."

    3. Paul Kinsler

      Re: "rotational spin"...

      Well, perhaps they wanted to distinguish it from other types of spin, such as that of an electron :-)

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: "rotational spin"...

        Rotational Spin as opposed to political spin.

  2. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Graham Newton

      Re: Re. spin

      Seeing as the spacecraft will be in full sunlight for half an orbit it's presumably not a power issue due to lack of light.

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: Re. spin

        But if the thing is spinning then the solar panels will be faced toward the sunlight for only a fraction of the time that the orbit is in day.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Stevie

      Re: target it from the ground with a laser

      Have you been using the ouija board to talk to Ronald Reagan again?

  3. Swarthy
    WTF?

    Allowed?

    In the meantime, the Russians will try and reestablish contact. If they fail the Progress capsule will be allowed to fall back into the atmosphere and burn up with its cargo
    So, if they can't get the capsule to accept commands, they'll allow it to continue as it is, which will eventually degrade into the atmosphere and burn up?

    What would be the alternative to allowing it to continue if it won't take commands? Send a fighter up with anti-sat missiles to "decommission" the capsule?

    1. Shades
      Thumb Up

      Re: Allowed?

      I'm glad that raised an eyebrow for someone else too.

    2. John Robson Silver badge

      Re: Allowed?

      Allow might not be a good choice of words, but I wonder what version of fue lis on board - that could make for a rather spectacular burn up... or not - things travelling that fast are relatively spectactular anyway...

  4. BristolBachelor Gold badge

    A couple of points. AFAIK the Progress is the only way of re-fueling the ISS now that there are no more ATVs (Anyone feel free to correct me on this).

    There is no hope in hell of another ATV mission. The production line has been closed, and for example some of the standard "off the shelf" components take 53 weeks to arrive after ordering. Add in Assembly, Integration and Test, and you'd be lucky to still remember this failure by the time it arrived!

    1. Vulch

      There are a couple of extra ATV service modules, currently intended to be used on Orion test flights. The pressurised bits came from the Alenia production line which I think also makes the Cygnus pressurised container. A bodge job ATV might be possible in under a year, but you'd still need an Ariane 5 to launch it and the only way you'd free up one of them would be to pay a commercial payload a very large sum of money to delay...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      True, though a couple of the second round bids for commercial resupply service contracts will have reboosts capability, one of which is partially based on the the ATV, granted how soon any could be ready is unknown. It would not be suprising if Siera Nenada and Lockheed Martin make some statements before the upcoming selection about how important it is their designs could offer redundancy in reboosting the station.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No Food?

    Good thing none of the ISS spacenauts is named Donner.

    1. artificial bitterness

      Re: No Food?

      "another fast supply mission"

      trouble with that fast food is... no atmosphere.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. noominy.noom

    NASA and its partners do not share all supplies

    The food, personal hygiene supplies and lots of other things are sent by each respective partner for their representatives on the ISS. As respect to the ISS all the partners seem to be cooperative and I suspect if the situation warranted it they would pool resources including food. But short of that they track their own. So NASA is not two shipments short, only one. And Russia is likely one short, unless this turns out to be less serious than it appears right now.

    1. Rikkeh
      Joke

      Re: NASA and its partners do not share all supplies

      So they're flatmates who don't share. Although how they can expect to draw a line on their milk bottles that keeps track of how much each of them has drunk in zero G is beyond me.

  7. Graham Marsden
    Coat

    "The Progress capsule is still in a low orbit, and doesn't pose a direct threat to the ISS"

    Good job, this is too early for a remake even for Hollywood...

  8. Red Bren
    Alien

    In space, no one can hear you scream

    Due to the deafening sound of rumbling tummies!

  9. Gene Cash Silver badge
    Go

    Money making opportunity!

    I wonder how long Progress will be grounded for the investigation?

    Now that Dragon is the only way to the ISS, Musk should adopt the United Launch Alliance pricing model and double his prices.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: Money making opportunity!

      Or.. be able to have more launches and Whack-The-Barge opportunities. More launches mean more chances of getting the landing right.

  10. Robert Helpmann??
    Pirate

    Arr and Avast!

    It was the geckos deciding they are no longer going to be confined to quarters and forced to make do with whatever knickknacks they could find for entertainment. They successfully stowed away on the Progress capsule but are still trying to work out the controls.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No biggie

    Just get dial a pizza deliveries until sorted.

    Those guys on the scooters can go anywhere.

    1. WraithCadmus
      Pint

      Re: No biggie

      It'll take over thirty minutes too, so it'll be free.

      Icon: The water if they don't get new filters soon-ish, it's starting to taste like Dutch lager...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No biggie

      To be honest, the rooskies seem to have more control over the supply ship than most of the little twats have over those scooters.

  12. Stumpy

    No wonder it's spinning ... it can't see a damn thing through all that text that's up on screen.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Proof reading?

    Is it now en vogue to not bother proof reading one's work?

    "The blunder appear" and let us not forget the inexcusable 'mercian spelling of "pressurization"

    1. Red Bren
      Headmaster

      Re: Proof reading?

      "Mercian?"

      Do the people of Tamworth spell things differently?

  14. fairbro

    Looks like the Obama admin was serious when it promised "cyber warfare" against Russia over Ukraine situation.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Russia spins OUT OF CONTROL"

    Headline fixed.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good chance to study

    Slow death from starvation in space prior to something similar happening on the way to Mars

    1. cray74

      Re: Good chance to study

      "Slow death from starvation in space prior to something similar happening on the way to Mars"

      Or, y'know, if they get too hungry they could just pop out for a bite in the two Soyuz capsules docked to the station. Admittedly the cab fare back to the ISS is a bit steep, but there needs to be quite a few more failures before death by starvation is an issue.

      I wonder if all 6 astronauts could ride back in one Soyuz. Is that an emergency option filed under Plan клоун автомобиль (kloun avtomobil')?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Good chance to study

        No, you can not get 6 people in a Solyuz, if you see what the inside with passengers looks like it is suprising three adults can fit in, even if they could rideing back without a seat you would likely get spinal damage. It is not an issue anyway since procedure is to keep enough vehicles everyone can leave if the need arises.

  17. Conundrum1885

    Plan "M"

    As in "The needs of the many... "

    Which means one poor person will be riding the disintegrating station down like Jack D Ripper on "Dr Strangelove" ...

    (gets coat)

    1. Crazy Operations Guy

      Re: Plan "M"

      Jack Ripper was the base commander, you're thinking of Major 'King' Kong.

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