Russian Rocket Gets Much-Needed Supplies to International Space Station

[PatrickJS]

Russian Rocket Gets Much-Needed Supplies to International Space Station

EDIT Sunday, July 5th: The capsule has successfully docked with the ISS. On-board the station, the crew tweeted, "feels like Christmas in July." [https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/617591950259040256]

After a string of failed launches, the International Space Station is on track to receive some much-needed supplies and equipment. A Russian Soyuz rocket had a successful launch on Friday, July 3rd and is on track to rendez-vous with the station on Sunday.

The astronauts on board the ISS can breathe a little easier today - or as easily as anyone can in space. A Russian Soyuz rocket managed a successful launch on Friday, carrying essential food, supplies and equipment to the International Space Station, ending a streak of failures for the space-faring community.

Just last week, SpaceX's Falcon rocket exploded catastrophically minutes after what looked like an optimal launch. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141370-SpaceXs-Falcon-9-Rocket-to-Attempt-Third-Another-Landing-Its-Success-Could-Change-Everything] After that disaster, NASA's William Gerstenmeier told reporters, "it's space, and it's difficult to go fly," indicating that even when no obvious problems present themselves, the very act of sending a rocket into orbit is fraught with uncertainties.

SpaceX's explosion was just the latest in a series of recent failures in re-supply missions for the ISS. In April, another Russian rocket failed to separate properly from its resource-laden capsule, preventing it from reaching orbit. Doomed from that point on, it finally incinerated on re-entry two weeks later. In October of 2014, a similar event occurred.

"We've always assumed we would lose a vehicle every so often," says Michael Suffredini, manager of the ISS.

"Having three this close together is not what we'd hoped for."

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As for Elon Musk's SpaceX itself, the Falcon incident was the third failed attempt in as many months. The first two rockets launched properly but were unable to stick the landing.

It should be noted that each of these missions was un-manned, and there was no loss of life in any of the incidents.

Check out the successful launch on video below:


The Russian rocket, which blasted off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, is expected to dock with the ISS on Sunday. While the previous missions all contained a variety of experiments and new parts for the station (including a pair of Hololens headsets) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141385-HoloLens-Headsets-Destroyed-In-SpaceX-Rocket-Explosion], this mission is just carrying the essentials - in other words, lots and lots of astronaut ice cream.

Source: NASA [http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/03/us-space-rockets-idUSKCN0PD12Z20150703]

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[FogHornG36]

Thanks Obama.

Its kinda worrisome that we can't get a rocket into space anymore, maybe we should go a different rout, i always enjoyed the idea of a space elevator.

 

[Deathfish15]

I read this with the other rocket as follows:


~American made, private Capitalist rocket failed spectacularly while destroying millions of dollars in ISS supplies.

~Russian made, Communist rocket succeeds and sends much-needed supplies to ISS.



Score one for Communism?

Thanks Obama.

Its kinda worrisome that we can't get a rocket into space anymore, maybe we should go a different rout, i always enjoyed the idea of a space elevator.

What part of "PRIVATE COMPANY" do you not understand? I really hate these bullshit "Thanks, Obama!" posts that try to put every blaming mistake of America solely on the hands of the Presidential branch of the government. Instead there should be a realization that the government is manipulated by the true fault of America: The capitalist companies that use their money to control everything.

 

[gigastar]

I read this with the other rocket as follows:

~American made, private Capitalist rocket failed spectacularly while destroying millions of dollars in ISS supplies.

~Russian made, Communist rocket succeeds and sends much-needed supplies to ISS.

Score one for Communism?

Not really. Article notes that the last failed supply launch was Russian.

 

[RealRT]

I read this with the other rocket as follows:


~American made, private Capitalist rocket failed spectacularly while destroying millions of dollars in ISS supplies.

~Russian made, Communist rocket succeeds and sends much-needed supplies to ISS.

Considering how communism is deader than disco in Russia for longer than I live, what?

 

[Scytail]

Thanks Obama.

Its kinda worrisome that we can't get a rocket into space anymore, maybe we should go a different route, i always enjoyed the idea of a space elevator.

One exploded rocket and we suddenly "cant get a rocket into space anymore." You're opinions are a joke and should be dismissed without consideration.

 

[Fensfield]

Well trust a Soyuz rocket to shake the string of mishaps. Whatever else they may be, those things are silly-reliable.

Though yeah what's with all the ignorant, vitriolic crowing?

 

[Silk_Sk]

Thank God the Russians sabotaged the last rocket. We almost didn't need them to get into space anymore.

 

[FogHornG36]

Thanks Obama.

Its kinda worrisome that we can't get a rocket into space anymore, maybe we should go a different route, i always enjoyed the idea of a space elevator.

One exploded rocket and we suddenly "cant get a rocket into space anymore." You're opinions are a joke and should be dismissed without consideration.

What i said was hyperbole, but maybe you should learn to count, the article list two rockets that failed, but my point is based on the fact that nasa has no rockets, and spacex is still in its infancy, i would say yes, it is worrisome that we are not able to get a rocket into space.

 

[Albino Boo]

Russian Rocket Gets Much-Needed Supplies to International Space Station, lands on Kiev.

Well trust a Soyuz rocket to shake the string of mishaps. Whatever else they may be, those things are silly-reliable.

Though yeah what's with all the ignorant, vitriolic crowing?

Or you never get to hear about the accidents. It may have escaped your notice, but during the existence of the Soyuz rocket family Russia has not been the most open of states.

 

[AstaresPanda]

oh look a private company fucking up royally no doubt cutting corners or rushing to get all that money then blowing that money the fuck up. Just give those funds to NASA ffs. And the fact that Russia had to step in makes you look even more like dicks. Thou it is an "international" space station. So all good.

But really i can never get over the name SpaceX just the amount of douche ...

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Yeah private companies cut corners, but you know what? So do governments.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Some people still dont seem to know what the USSR was or what Russia of today is ...

Anyways, good for them. But they are simply MUCH more experienced than SpaceX at this point.

One has to be fair though; the article lists a couple of failures of SpaceX, but most of those failures were of tests of their experimental landing system. In those cases the actual flight went without a hitch as it too says. Failing that was to be expected, they were cutting-edge trials.

Yeah private companies cut corners, but you know what? So do governments.

Less so, because in this day and age they have a lot more accountability. Though of course that does differ between countries.

 

[lacktheknack]

Thanks Obama.

Its kinda worrisome that we can't get a rocket into space anymore, maybe we should go a different rout, i always enjoyed the idea of a space elevator.

What part of "PRIVATE COMPANY" do you not understand? I really hate these bullshit "Thanks, Obama!" posts that try to put every blaming mistake of America solely on the hands of the Presidential branch of the government. Instead there should be a realization that the government is manipulated by the true fault of America: The capitalist companies that use their money to control everything.

Tip: No one says "Thanks Obama" seriously anymore. They haven't for years.

Thank God the Russians sabotaged the last rocket. We almost didn't need them to get into space anymore.

pls

pls don't

pls don't do this

don't do this

pls

 

[FalloutJack]

Quick question: Who paid them for it?

Also, SpaceX should probably try to replicate a normal satellite-launch rocket for supplies first and shoot the equivalent weight up into space next time while they work on this. I understand the attempt to create a different rocket because it doesn't need as much up there and therefore different calculations, but first they need to get their space legs where it counts.

 

[vallorn]

I read this with the other rocket as follows:


~American made, private Capitalist rocket failed spectacularly while destroying millions of dollars in ISS supplies.

~Russian made, Communist rocket succeeds and sends much-needed supplies to ISS.



Score one for Communism?

Thanks Obama.

Its kinda worrisome that we can't get a rocket into space anymore, maybe we should go a different rout, i always enjoyed the idea of a space elevator.

What part of "PRIVATE COMPANY" do you not understand? I really hate these bullshit "Thanks, Obama!" posts that try to put every blaming mistake of America solely on the hands of the Presidential branch of the government. Instead there should be a realization that the government is manipulated by the true fault of America: The capitalist companies that use their money to control everything.

Aaafter two "Russian made, Communist rocket"s explode or burn up, destroying twice as much in ISS supplies. Sure, Go Communism, Woooo.

Obama killed off the funding for NASA which means that the only rockets America has right now are these private companies you seem to hate. So yes, this is a case for "Thanks Obama" because otherwise you might be watching American NASA rockets flying.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Considering that we're essentially strapping equipment to an explosive, volatile device that only takes a modicum of human error to catastrophically fail, we're doing quite good on the average for successful rocket launches. The equipment failures during docking procedures are minor setbacks in the grand scheme of things and that the US has never lost a man or woman in space, only on the way up or back down, within atmosphere, is nothing short of a miracle.
As I said we're essentially rolling the dice with every rocket launch, and until we find a less volatile means of getting things and people up into the void, we run the risk every time we attempt to put up said rocket of losing everything. Its by no means perfect, but again as I mentioned, that we have such a low failure rate of launch is testament to the minds working behind the scenes to ensure these rockets go off with relatively little issues. We also ensure the launch conditions are near-perfect as we can get and slight variances in either temperature or general weather patterns can scrub a launch.
So many safety precautions go into standard launch profiles that its no wonder we have a positive track record. That anyone has negative views on one failed launch is patently ridiculous and creates a false narrative that private companies and NASA before them are unable to handle the responsibility of launching objects and people into space.
Its also quite amazing that NASA has done so much with a comparatively low budget and been more successful than not in its endeavors, same with SpaceX. There are going to be hitches, catastrophes and tragedies in our quest to expand our knowledge of the universe and explore beyond our atmospheric borders and its a great achievement that we've managed to mitigate the catastrophes and tragedies to a very small ratio.