There is no threat to the safety of astronauts on the ISS: despite the accident of the Progress, which was supposed to deliver cargo, the astronauts have sufficient supplies of food and oxygen. However, the flight program will be adjusted, experts said.

The ISS crew will face major adjustments to the program in connection with the Progress accident, space industry experts say. The cargo ship was supposed to bring food, water, and fuel on board. The total weight of the cargo is almost three tons. As a result of an accident with the engine, the Progress crashed in the Altai taiga.

Currently, an international crew of six people, consisting of Russian, American and Japanese cosmonauts, is on watch on the ISS. They have already been notified of the accident. The MCC notes that the cosmonauts calmly responded to the situation. The cosmonaut program will be changed in the coming days, and some experiments may have to be cancelled, notes cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin.

“The truck sometimes also carries on board reserve units, equipment for scientific research, and so on. Depending on this composition, the program will, of course, be adjusted. I would draw attention to the fact that an emergency situation occurred specifically with the launch vehicle. First of all “We need to figure this out,” explained Fyodor Yurchikhin. “As for the launch of the next ship, already a transport one, with a crew, it will also be launched by the Soyuz launch vehicle. There will be no decisions today.”

We can definitely say that the cosmonauts will not experience any inconvenience or lack of food and water due to the Progress accident. This was stated by the deputy head of the RSC Energia flight and space center, pilot-cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov.

“We have enough supplies of food, water, oxygen and everything that is necessary for the crew. Of course, we will now slightly adjust the flight program in connection with this accident. The crew is not in danger, they will work as normal,” said Pavel Vinogradov. — We are calculating the flight program in such a way that if for some reason, including emergency ones, we are unable to deliver the next Progress to the ISS, we have enough reserves for 200-250 days of quiet crew work. Therefore, we can talk about. that they will be malnourished, this is wrong.”

Since 1978, this is the first time that a truck has failed to deliver cargo, notes corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Yuri Karash.

"Progress" is a very reliable car. It has been in operation since 1978. During this period of time, 135 Progress launches were carried out, including the last one, which was unsuccessful. Besides this launch, there was only one more in 1985, when Progress was unable to immediately dock with the Mir station,” Yuri Karash clarified.

A special commission has already been created to study the causes of the Progress accident.

The Progress accident will change the ISS crew program