The Russian Space Agency Roscosmos is struggling to regain control of the cargo vessel Progress 59, which seems to have received a serious malfunction shortly after it entered orbit today (April 28).
Video from the spacecraft shows the dizzying rotation of Progress. Specialists from the Mission Control Center abandoned plans to try to secure the cargo ship with the International Space Station on Thursday (April 30).
The problems began shortly after Progress 59 was launched into space with the help of the Russian Soyuz carrier rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The start occurred at 3:09 in the morning. There are more than 3 tons of food, fuel and other consumables on board the cargo vessel. Specialists from the Mission Control Center have already tried to regain control of the cargo vessel, while Progress 59 made four turns around the Earth, but without success. Late in the evening, experts will make another attempt.
The Russian spacecraft Progress is the “workhorse” for restocking the International Space Station. They began their service mission back in 2000 and have a long track record of success.
