Russia offers US help after blast
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends on October 24, 2014 a meeting of members of the Valdai International Discussion Club in the Russian city of Sochi. Russia on October 29, 2014 offered to help the United States with deliveries to the International Space Station after an unmanned American supply rocket exploded on lift-off. FILE PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- An unmanned rocket owned by private firm Orbital Sciences Corporation exploded Tuesday in a giant fireball and plummeted back to Earth just seconds after a launch from Wallops Island, Virginia on what was to be a resupply mission.
- The Russian cargo ship Progress took off for the ISS on a planned mission to replace a sister vessel.
MOSCOW
Russia Wednesday offered to help the United States with deliveries to the International Space Station after an unmanned American supply rocket exploded on lift-off.
“If a request is made for the urgent delivery of any American supplies to the ISS with the help of our vessels then we will fulfill the request,” Russian space agency official Alexei Krasnov told state-run RIA Novosti news agency, adding that NASA had not yet asked for assistance.
An unmanned rocket owned by private firm Orbital Sciences Corporation exploded Tuesday in a giant fireball and plummeted back to Earth just seconds after a launch from Wallops Island, Virginia on what was to be a resupply mission.
Orbital’s Cygnus cargo ship was carrying 2,200 kilograms of supplies for the six astronauts living at the research outpost, a US-led multi-national collaboration.
Officials said the cost of the rocket and supplies was over $200 million, not including the damage caused on the ground.
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH
Europe stopped delivering supplies to the ISS this summer, and the outpost is now resupplied by Russia and two NASA-contracted private American firms — Space X and Orbital Sciences.
Russia on Wednesday successfully launched its own supply mission from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan.
The Russian cargo ship Progress took off for the ISS on a planned mission to replace a sister vessel.
Mr Krasnov said that the impact of the loss of the rocket on Russian operations at the space station would be “minimal.”
After the countdown, the base of the tall, white rocket ignited on cue, then rose a short distance into the air before it suddenly exploded in a fiery blast six seconds later.
Investigators swiftly secured the perimeter of the area and forbade any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard the spacecraft.
As night fell, fires were seen burning at the coastal launch pad, where waves lapped at the shore. It was unclear what caused the explosion, which occurred at 6:22 pm.
