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Russia's Progress spacecraft in uncontrolled descent

Xinhua, April 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

Russia's cargo spacecraft Progress M-27M has started an uncontrolled descent from the orbit, the Mission Control Center (MCC) said Wednesday.

"The speed of descent equals to several dozens of meters per rotation," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted an unnamed MCC source as saying.

Due to the uncontrolled descent, the exact timing and area of its re-entry to the atmosphere could not be precisely calculated in advance, the source said.

Earlier in the day, the MCC estimated that the spacecraft would re-enter the atmosphere on May 7-11.

The latest attempt to establish communication, undertaken at 3:50 a.m. Moscow time (0050 GMT) Wednesday when the spaceship re-entered the communication range, has failed.

The Progress M-27M, launched by a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan at around 10:09 a.m. Moscow time (0709 GMT) Tuesday, was planned to dock with the International Space Station six hours later.

The resupply vehicle was carrying about 2.5 tons of cargo, including fuel, oxygen, food and scientific equipment. Endi