Just hours after an American cargo run to the International Space Station ended in flames, a Russian supply ship has arrived at the station with a load of fresh supplies.
The Russian supply ship launched early Wednesday from Kazakhstan and arrived at the orbiting lab six hours later with 3 tons of food, fuel and other items. The smooth flight was in stark contrast to Tuesday evening’s explosion of a commercially provided cargo ship.
Orbital Sciences Corp.’s unmanned Antares rocket had just lifted off from Wallops Island, Virginia, when it exploded. The rocket was carrying a Cygnus capsule loaded with 2½ tons of station experiments and equipment for NASA. Ground teams were finally getting access Wednesday morning to the damaged pad and fire-stricken area. No one was injured.
(AP)
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2 Responses
Wow… We look bad.
#1. No…we don’t. Accidents in the space business happen all the time. And they happen to all the players: US, Russia, China, Israel, and commercial ventures as well.
Rocket science is a difficult science. You learn by your mistakes.