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FAIR USE FOR DISCUSSION & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2031469/International-Space-Station-unmanned-time-decade-Russia-postpones-mission-following-crash.html

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International Space Station could be unmanned for first time in decade after Russia postpones next mission following crash.

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The International Space Station could be left unmanned for the first time in a decade following the decision of the Russian space agency to postpone its next mission.


Roskosmos said today that the next manned mission would be put back by at least a month following the destruction of a cargo craft carrying food and fuel last week.


It said that the decision will allow time for safety checks to be carried out, but any further delays could leave no option but to bring the cosmonauts currently onboard back to Earth.


In a brief statement, the agency set no new dates for missions.


But Russian sources said that three of the six man crew currently in space would now return on September 16, instead of September 8.


The delay means that their replacements will not blast off for the station until late October or early November, instead of on September 22.


Alexei Krasnov, who is in charge of manned flights at Roskosmos, said: 'If for any reason we will not be able to deliver the crew before the end of November, we will need to review all possibilities including leaving the station unmanned.'


Another official said that at least two test launches of its unmanned Soyuz rocket would be carried out before the next manned rocket is sent into space.


The next launch of crew members to the space station will be the first since NASA retired its 30-year shuttle programme in July.


This has caused concern at NASA as it now relies entirely on Russian craft to send people into space.


Russian officials said they hoped the safety checks will increase confidence following the crash, in which a Soyuz-U craft failed to reach orbit and burned up in the atmosphere shortly after launch.


The failure was reportedly caused by a problem with the rocket's upper-stage motor.


Igor Lissov, editor of monthly Russian space journal Novosti Kosmonavtiki, said the delays and checks are normal following such a failure.


He added: 'I think they will manage to get a craft to the space station to avoid it being unmanned.


'You can run the space station from Earth but you can't do it as well as when it is manned.'


The International Space Station is an orbiting research laboratory which is a $100-billion project involving six countries.


NASA said last week the six astronauts in orbit had enough food and water to go several months without supplies.


But bringing astronauts back to Earth would be safer before winter starts in Kazakhstan, where they would touch down.


The station is currently manned by U.S. astronauts Ron Garan and Mike Fossum, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Volkov, Alexander Samokutyayev and mission commander Andrey Borisenko.


Borisenko, Samokutyayev and Garan are due to end their mission in the coming weeks.





Unmanned: The International Space Station could be left without occupants after Russia said it was postponing its next mission to conduct safety checks following the loss of a craft last week.





On their way home: (From left) U.S. astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyayev, and Andrei Borisenko are due to come back to earth on September 16.



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NOTE: Coincidentally, Pastor David Owuor is going to have his next revival meeting at Kisii, Kenya, on SEP 16~18, 2011.

And those crew members are due to return to Earth on SEP 16 !!

Kisii Revival Meeting:
September 16-18, 2011.