Soyuz Spacecraft Loss: Russian Prosecutors Claim Management and Workers Negligent

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office blames the loss of the Express-AM4 telecommunications satellite Aug. 18 and the Progress M-12M space freighter six days later on employee negligence.

The Prosecution Office has proposed introducing criminal punishment for those found guilty of causing serious damage to the country’s space industry, the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency reported Oct. 18.

“Both incidents were the result of negligence by employees of state space industry enterprises subordinate to [Russian space agency] Roscosmos, [negligence] during control procedures, as well as the absence of proper control by Roscosmos of decision-making by authorised persons,” Marina Gridneva, spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, said.

In addition to possible criminal punishment, the Prosecutor General’s Office is demanding fines and reprimands for those responsible for the loss of the spacecraft.

US Rely on Russian Soyuz Progress programme to support ISS crew

Progress, a Russian cargo spacecraft, Progress M-06M, lifted off toward the International Space Station at 19:35 Moscow time [15:35 GMT] on Wednesday, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

It was launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz-U booster rocket. It separated 10 minutes later and successfully entered the designated orbit.

The space freighter will deliver fuel, oxygen, scientific equipment and video and photo equipment to the ISS, as well as food, water and personal items for the crew.

The spaceship is to dock with the space station on July 2 at 20:55 Moscow time [16:55 GMT].

Preparations have already been made for the module's arrival. In early June, Russia's Mission Control readjusted the ISS orbit, raising it by 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) to ensure the best conditions for the docking of the Soyuz TMA-19 manned spacecraft and the Progress M-06M.

On Monday, the ISS crew moved the Soyuz TMA-19, which docked with the Zvezda module on June 18, to the Rassvet research module in a 24-minute maneuver to make room for the Progress M-06M.