Moscow--Russia said Wednesday it had lost control of an unmanned spacecraft taking supplies to the International Space Station and it is plunging back to Earth but is likely to burn up in the atmosphere.
The loss of the Progress supply ship, a Soviet design known for its reliability, is the latest embarrassment for Russia's space programme that has been recently hit by a series of mishaps.
Grim-faced officials from the Russian space agency told a hastily arranged news conference that the capsule had been lost.
"Most likely it is some sort of unforeseen situation related to the separation of the ship from the carrier," Alexander Ivanov, deputy chief of the Roscosmos state agency, told reporters.
"It is impossible to say now who is guilty and of what."
Roscosmos chief Igor Komarov said the vessel's debris is likely to burn up in the atmosphere, estimating the cost of the launch and the spacecraft at nearly 2.6 billion rubles ($50.8 million).
Roscosmos estimates that the vessel will burn up in the atmosphere some time between May 5-7.
A Soyuz rocket carrying the Progress M-27M spacecraft with supplies for the ISS successfully launched on Tuesday but communication with the vessel was lost soon afterwards.
Speaking to AFP earlier Wednesday, a Russian official familiar with the situation said the capsule had begun descending.
AFP
