B
backspace
Guest
Since I don't know about the credibility of this website, just asking if anyone knows about the following:<br /><br />Russian Spacecraft Fails to Raise ISS to Designated Orbit<br />Created: 18.11.2004 11:27 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 11:27 MSK<br /><br /><br />MosNews<br /><br /><br />The Russian transport spacecraft Progress failed to raise the International Space Station to its designated orbit on Wednesday, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted a top Russian space expert as saying.<br /><br />The head of the ballistic coordination group at the Mission Control Centre outside Moscow, Alexander Kireyev, said that the thrust generated by Progress M-50’s engines had not been sufficient to raise the ISS by almost 4.5 kilometers as planned. According to telemetric data, the orbit was raised by 2.7 kilometers, Kireyev said. <br /><br />According to him, this is enough to enable the docking of the transport ship which will be launched from the Baikonur launch pad on Dec. 23. <br /><br />“The ISS is now at the medium altitude of 358 kilometers,” Kireyev added. <br /><br />According to the Russian Mission Control Centre, the ISS fell by almost eight kilometers since the previous orbit adjustment at the end of September. Specialists have said increased solar activity is to blame.<br /><br />http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/11/18/issnotlifted_.shtml