Progress space freighter problems solvable with time - Roscosmos
MOSCOW. April 28 (Interfax) - The situation around the Progress cargo spacecraft is under control, Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) spokesman Igor Burenkov said on Tuesday.
"It is in the orbit that we intended. There are some problems with telemetric data. But they are being tackled by Roscosmos specialists. It is in the right orbit," Burenkov said on the Russian News Service radio.
"Solar panels are open, there are some problems but these are being solved, we just need to wait," he said.
The Progress M-27M cargo spacecraft was launched from Baikonur atop a Soyuz-2.1 launch vehicle (LV) at 10.10 a.m. on Tuesday. Initially, it was expected to dock with the International Space Station six hours after liftoff.
The space freighter was to deliver fuel, oxygen, equipment for research experiments, parcels for cosmonauts and astronauts and presents for the crew members on the occasion of the upcoming holidays, as well as food supplies.
However, shortly after the liftoff specialists from the Russian Mission Control Center (MCC) were unable to obtain telemetric information from the freighter.
Furthermore, the launch vehicle delivered Progress M-27M to an orbit higher than the intended one.
The situation prompted MCC specialists to make a decision to conduct a two-day rendezvous sequence between the freighter and the ISS.
Meanwhile, a Roscosmos spokesperson said that the Soyuz-2.1A LV delivered the Progress M-27M freighter to the right orbit. "The delivery parameters are standard. There is a command radio link," Roscosmos said in a statement obtained by Interfax-AVN on Tuesday, while nevertheless admitting "certain problems with telemetric data."