عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Russian Spacecraft Reaches ISS in Record Time

The Souyz-2 spacecraft with Meteor-M satellite and 18 additional small satellites launches from Russia's new Vostochny cosmodrome ( Reuters )
The Souyz-2 spacecraft with Meteor-M satellite and 18 additional small satellites launches from Russia's new Vostochny cosmodrome ( Reuters )
TT
TT

Russian Spacecraft Reaches ISS in Record Time

The Souyz-2 spacecraft with Meteor-M satellite and 18 additional small satellites launches from Russia's new Vostochny cosmodrome ( Reuters )
The Souyz-2 spacecraft with Meteor-M satellite and 18 additional small satellites launches from Russia's new Vostochny cosmodrome ( Reuters )

The Russian spacecraft “Progress MS-09” managed to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in record time, thanks to a new mechanism.

The Mission Control center, located in the outskirts of Moscow, said that the cargo vehicle merged with the space station after 3 hours and 40 minutes of launch, that is, nine minutes before the time estimated by the preliminary calculations. Prior to that, the record for reaching and docking was 5 hours 39 minutes after the launch of the rocket.

The “Soyuz-2.1a” rocket, carrying the “Soyuz freighter”, went off at 5 pm Moscow time on Tuesday, and successfully placed it on its orbit.

The vehicle carries 2.5 tons of materials including food, medical supplies, fuel and scientific research equipment, as well as modern men's helmets.

It is known that the fastest docking mechanism with the International Station is carried out at several stages: the spacecraft performs four laps around the earth, and then, continues six hours of navigation before docking.

However, the traditional mechanism requires the vehicle to orbit around the earth 34 times in more than 48 hours. According to workers the Mission Control center, the mechanism through which “Progress MS-09” was able to reach the International Space Station in less than four hours may be adopted later for manned spacecraft carrying astronauts to the ISS.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Japan's Space Agency Halts Epsilon S Rocket Engine Test after Fire

Smoke and fire is seen during a combustion test of an engine for a new small Japanese rocket Epsilon S at Tanegashima Space Center, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
Smoke and fire is seen during a combustion test of an engine for a new small Japanese rocket Epsilon S at Tanegashima Space Center, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
TT
TT

Japan's Space Agency Halts Epsilon S Rocket Engine Test after Fire

Smoke and fire is seen during a combustion test of an engine for a new small Japanese rocket Epsilon S at Tanegashima Space Center, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
Smoke and fire is seen during a combustion test of an engine for a new small Japanese rocket Epsilon S at Tanegashima Space Center, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan's space agency aborted an engine test for the Epsilon S rocket on Tuesday following a fire at the test site, a failure that could push the rocket's debut launch beyond the March-end target and cause further delays in the national space program.
An explosion could be heard and a blaze could be seen shortly after the ground combustion test started at the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, according to footage from public broadcaster NHK.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the engine test encountered a "combustion abnormality" 49 seconds after the ignition. It said there was no indication of injury or damage to the outside facility, Reuters reported.
"JAXA will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the problem and consider countermeasures," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press briefing.
Hayashi, the top government spokesperson, said rocket development is "extremely important" to ensure the autonomy of Japan's space program.
JAXA partnered with the aerospace unit of heavy machinery maker IHI to develop Epsilon S, the next generation in the Epsilon solid-fuel small rocket series. Shares in IHI were down as much as 6% in Tokyo trade. An IHI Aerospace spokesperson said the company is investigating the cause.
Epsilon S's debut flight was slated by the end of the fiscal year through March 31 depending on the success of Tuesday's engine test.
The test was conducted after previous failures triggered months of investigation that have delayed space missions and satellite launch plans.
In July last year, an Epsilon S engine test failed due to thermal damage to its ignition systems. That followed a launch failure in 2022.
JAXA's larger flagship rocket H3, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, failed at its first launch last year but has succeeded in three flights this year, launching Japanese satellites and winning orders including from French satellite operator Eutelsat.
The H3 and Epsilon S are central to JAXA's ambition to build cost-competitive rockets amid the rise of American commercial launch providers such as market leader SpaceX and small rocket maker Rocket Lab.
In the private sector, IHI-backed Space One is set to attempt the second launch of its Kairos small rocket on Dec. 14 after the first flight exploded in March. It aims to become the first Japanese business to put a satellite in orbit.