An unmanned Russian supply ship bound for the International Space Station failed to reach its planned orbit Wednesday, and pieces of it fell in Siberia amid a thunderous explosion, officials said.
A brief statement from Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, did not specify whether the Progress supply ship that was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan had been lost. But the state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Alexander Borisov, head of a the Choisky region in Russia's Altai province, as saying pieces of the craft fell in his area some 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) northeast of the launch site.
"The explosion was so strong that for 100 kilometers (60 miles) glass almost flew out of the windows," he was quoted as saying. Borisov said there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry could not be reached for comment. A Roscosmos media officer who refused to be identified said the agency had no immediate comment.
Roscosmos said the third stage of the rocket firing the ship into space failed a few minutes into the launch. The ship was carrying more than 2.5 tons of supplies, including oxygen, food and fuel. Since the ending of the U.S. space shuttle program this summer, Russian spaceships are a main supply link to the space station. It was the 44th Progress to launch to the International Space Station.
Roscosmos said the accident "would have no negative influence" on the International Space Station crew because its existing supplies of food, water and oxygen are sufficient. Russian rockets for satellites and resupply are actually pretty reliable. The thing that gives me the willies is that this is now a single point of failure for the space station. We could get something up there if we pushed for it, but a couple failures in a row could really cause a lot of headaches for the crew. And my other question is, "Why the fuck do the Americans not have a program that can do this?"
#1
SpaceX will have their first run to the ISS using the Dragon capsule in November. I have great faith in their ability to pull it off on time and under budget.
Posted by: DanNY ||
08/24/2011 14:11 Comments ||
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#2
Why the f... do the Americans not have a program that can do this?"
You can't afford a space program if your intention is to make 95% of the country eligible for food stamps (or Cal Fresh as we call it here in the beclowned state of CA). Also, in the not so recent past, NASA and the space program represented American pride, ingenuity and resolve. Can have that now, can we?
#5
DanNY, absolutely. As sad as I am to see the shuttle go, STS turned astronauts into truck drivers, and expendable ones at that. Cargo transport, like putting satellites in orbit and resupplying ISS, doesn't have to be manned, nor should it be if it can be avoided. Save those crews (and the expense, risk, and payload) for missions that absolutely require human judgment on site. Centralized government monopolies can never match dynamic private innovation, and I can't wait to see companies like SpaceX prove it. Might remind this country what we used to be all about.
#9
The spacecraft "Progress M-12M" separated from the carrier rocket "Soyuz-U" abnormal. On it informs RIA Novosti.
"The final stage of removing cargo spacecraft" Progress "in orbit there was an emergency situation. At present, specialists investigate the cause of the accident", - has informed agency "Interfax" a source in the aerospace industry.
The source added that the ship was launched into the target orbit.
"Нештатная ситуация примерно 340 с"
Does it mean: There is an emergency situation at 340 s?
three ISS reboosts were planned for M-12M, which now can't happen
Posted by: Water Modem ||
08/24/2011 21:52 Comments ||
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#10
OTOH, US DARPA + NASA-JPL + OWG SPACE ORDER ...
versus
* TOPIX/NEWSMAX > CHINA SEES DEBT AS A WAY TO CONQUER AMERICA.
* NEWSMAX > WAR + ECONOMICS INTENSIFY NEW WORLD DISORDER.
* WORLD NEWS > GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS [Crises = plural] COULD INCREASE NUCLEAR WAR DANGER.
* TOPIX > INTENSE SOLAR ACTIVITY IN 2012 [or shortly after] WILL TRIP MOBILE PHONES, GPS.
Computer-based nationwide info, control = operating systems + grids, + around the World.
ARTIC = Next SOLAR MAXIMA in 2012 will be strongest since 1958 Event, NORTHERN LIGHTS to be seen as far south as ROME.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > US EMERGING AS A "FOOD STAMP" COUNTRY. US has LOST more than gained in the GWOT?
* SAME > ISLAM TAKES HOLD IN THE LAND OF BIKINIS + CARNIVAL [aka Catholic/Christian BRAZIL].
[OWG PAULA "TRIPS TO BRAZIL" ABDUL here].
* INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > US IS JUST THREE YEARS [away] FROM BEING GREECE. Year 2014-2015 + Greece-style US Debt-to-GDP Ratio at or over 150%.
D *** NG IT, THIS IS AMERIKA, NOT AMERICA, WE'RE NOT TRUE PATRIOTIC COMMIE SOVIETS + OWG
"GLOBALISTS" + "SPACE/STAR-LIGHTERS" UNTIL OUR RATIO IS NEAR 500% OR BETTER LIKE THE OLD USSR!
[Bangla Daily Star] An alleged robber was beaten to death by a mob after his gang shot and injured three villagers in Chokoria upazila of Cox's Bazar early Wednesday.
Md Farhad, officer-in-charge of Chokoria Police Station, said a gang of robbers set upon vegetable trader Alamgir's house at Daluni Ghona village around 1:00am.
Gang leader Aziz called Alamgir's mobile phone from outside the house and asked him to open the door.
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
Alamgir immediately called his neighbours over cell phone and informed the matter.
"Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin! Hey, rube!"
Meanwhile, ...back at the hoedown, Bob finally got to dance with Sally... the bandidos were trying to break open the door as Alamgir was not responding.
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blooooooooow your house down!"
But before the robbers could enter the house, locals surrounded the gang, the OC said quoting the family members.
"Yew ain't from 'round here, aire ya...Stranger."
The bandidos, sensing danger, opened fire, leaving three villagers injured.
A really, really bad idea once their dander is up.
Locals managed to catch one of the robbers and gave him a good beating, said the OC, adding that the other bandidos however managed to flee the scene. ... as though they had never been...
On information, police rescued Jamiruddin, 28, from the locals and admitted him to Chokoria Upazila Health Complex.
As his condition deteriorated, Jamiruddin, son of Korban Ali of Lal Bridge area in the upazila, was shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where he died around 5:45am, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
That was quick. It was only 1:00 a.m. when the "Little pig" nonsense started. One hopes his comrades-in-fairy-tale have learnt something from the experience.
The three bullet-hit villagers -- Akbar Ahmed, 55, Redwanul Islam Masum, 18, and Md Kutubuddin, 29, -- were admitted to the CMCH.
.
Four other villagers, who were stabbed by the robbers, are undergoing treatment at the upazila health complex.
Let us hope they heal well and quickly.
Police recovered a gun and two bullets from the spot.
See Spot, X marks the for details.
The law enforcers were continuing their search for the other members of the gang.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2011 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] A villager was killed when his rival group hurled two bombs at him centering a trivial matter in Gangni upazila of Meherpur Tuesday morning.
Bangladesh is a strange and wondrous place, much like the Kingdom of Faerie.
A group of people led by Abu Taher of Chargoyal village locked in an altercation with another group headed by Golam Ali and Akbar Ali, reports our Kushtia correspondent quoting Mohammad Shahriar, Meherpur superintendent of police.
As a sequel of the altercation, both the group armed with firearms, bomb and sharp weapons swooped on each other around 11:30am and at one stage, Taher's men hurled two bombs at their rivals, the police super added.
The left side of twenty-five-year-old Ilias Hossain blew off following the kaboom.
He was rushed to Bamundi Clinic where doctors declared him dead. He's dead, Jim!
Four people also injured during the clash. Of them, one hurt in kaboom.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2011 00:00 ||
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As the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) goes about its process selecting a candidate for the Mexican 2012 national election, its leader, Humberto Moreira is coming under sharp attack from Gustavo Madero of the Partido Accion Nacional and Reforma newspaper for his financial dealings while he was governor of Coahuila state.
According to Mexican news sources, including Reforma newspaper and the leftist weekly Proceso during his term as governor, Moreira ran up debt for Coahuila state from MP $323 million (USD $26,177,373.50) and raised it to MP $32 billion (USD $259,342,400.00), a debt balloon so large, according to AnimalPolitico.com, the yearly interest payments are currently at MP $1,300,000.00 (USD $105,357.85) a year.
Moreira stepped down as governor of Coahuila last March when he accepted election as leader of the PRI in a process he almost walked through. He replaced Beatriz Parades Rangel, who stepped down following a series of stunning wins in which PRI took, held or flipped 11 of 14 state houses in the 2010 elections.
Moreira's work has mirrored Parades Rangel in the number of sheer sweeps in state and local elections PRI has won including Mexico state and his home state of Coahuila in which his brother Ruben won by a wide margin, and in Nayarit. PRI also swept state deputy and municipality elections by wide margins in Hidalgo.
The November 13th statehouse elections in Michoacan, which feature Luisa Calderon Hinojosa, sister of outgoing Mexican president Felipe Calderon Hinojosa is the last statehouse election until the start of the national campaign in 2012. The Michoacan election is considered to be so important, all three leaders of the three mainstream political parties, PRI, PAN and Partido Revolucion Democratica (PRD) have set up residence in Michoacan to aid their respective causes.
Moreira's travails started when Moody's Investor Service and Fitch downgraded Coahuila state debt five levels forcing the state to renegotiate its current debt at higher interest rates. Coahuila currently pays MP $601 million (USD $48,707,744.50) a year in interest, which is now set to nearly double.
Last week, the Coahuila state chamber of deputies voted to refinance MP $33 billion pesos.
Proceso is charging in an article posted Tuesday in its website that Moreira had used part of the debt to enrich a political ally, making Vicente Chaires one of the wealthiest individuals in Coahuila state. Vicente Chaires made his fortune in real estate and in telecommunications. Proceso suggests the Moreira himself may have benefited from the association while governor, although the article fails to explicitly state the nature of the nexus or how Moreira may have benefitted.
Another problem on the horizon for Moreira is Javier Villarreal, who is possibly facing federal criminal charges for falsifying public documents. Javier Villarreal was aide to govenor Moreira during his term as governor of Coahuila.
In a response to criticism late Tuesday published in El Diario de Coahuila, Moreira accused the Mexican federal government of a "personal" vendetta against him, citing reports of falsified documents pertaining to municipal works grants. Moreira said he could not know all the details of such grants and still govern in Coahuila.
Adding to Moreira's headaches as president of the largest political party in Mexico is Enrique Pena Nieto, former governor of Mexico, who is the odds on favorite to become PRI's candidate for the 2012 presidential election. While Pena Nieto seems to be an outstanding choice to win the election, he is a flawed candidate, as a man who also became wealthy and influential during his political career.
Stories in Mexican press have emerged which paint Pena Nieto as even less of the populist than Moreira's carefully crafted image, but more of a wealthy player in Mexican politics, which could potentially be a hard sell in 2012 for the PRI and to Mexicans.
A development in the investigation into Anna Politkovskaya's murder has been reported in Moscow. Police investigating the killing of the controversial journalist arrested a retired police lieutenant colonel, Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, on Tuesday evening.
Oh dear. This does not sound promising.
"Great news, Czar Mr. Prime Minister!"
"Yes, what is it?"
"We have scapegoat arranged for Politkovskaya murder!"
"Excellent! Good work!"
On Wednesday, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said that there was more information about the man who ordered Politkovskaya's death, but said it would be "premature" to publically reveal this information.
"I can say no more!"
Pavlyuchenkov is suspected of arranging the killing of Politkovskaya, who was shot down outside of her Moscow home in 2006. Investigators said he was believed to have supplied the killer with a gun, but will not comment on who gave the order that the journalist should die.
Politkovskaya was known for her reporting from Chechnya, where she had exposed human rights violations during and after the war there. She died on the birthday of then-president Vladimir Putin.
Investigators believe that Pavlyuchenkov was paid to organize Politkovskaya's murder, following instructions from others. It seems that investigators may now have a clearer idea of who gave those instructions.
Meanwhile the ex-officer, who was working in the surveillance division of Moscow police in 2006, is suspected of creating a band of assassins comprising the three Makhmudov brothers, Rustam, Dzhabrail and Ibragim. Rustam was detained in Chechnya in May, and is accused of the shooting; his brothers were acquitted of driving him to and from the crime scene in a 2009 verdict which was later overturned by Russia's Supreme Court.
Since relations are resumed between our two countries, we have the right to congratulate you from the bottom of our hearts because you are the son of Africa. God gives reign to whom He wishes and takes it away from whom He wishes; he holds dear whom he wants and humiliates whom he wants as well. He retains all the good in His hands, and He is the all powerful; and He pledged to confer His favors on those deemed weak and to bequeath them the Earth.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
An unmanned Russian supply ship bound for the International Space Station failed to reach its planned orbit Wednesday, and pieces of it fell in Siberia amid a thunderous explosion, officials said.
[Bangla Daily Star] An alleged robber was beaten to death by a mob after his gang shot and injured three villagers in Chokoria upazila of Cox's Bazar early Wednesday.
A development in the investigation into Anna Politkovskaya's murder has been reported in Moscow. Police investigating the killing of the controversial journalist arrested a retired police lieutenant colonel, Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov, on Tuesday evening.
