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Soyuz FG fails during ascent – Soyuz MS-10 crew safe after ballistic entry abort
The Russian federal space agency, Roscosmos, launched their Soyuz MS-10 crew vehicle with two new crewmembers that were set for the International Space Station. However, the launch – which took place on Thursday at 0840 UTC from Baikonur – failed a few minutes into flight. Soyuz MS-10 was then aborted on a ballistic entry, before safely landing downrange of the launch site.
The crewed Soyuz, which would normally ferry three people to the Station, was carrying a reduced crew complement as part of Russia's initiative to keep their total crew presence on Station to just two until the launch, late next year, of their primary science lab, Nauka.
However, those plans are unlikely to apply now Soyuz MS-10 has failed to arrive at the ISS, with the Soyuz FG likely to be grounded for some time as a State Commision invesigation[sic] takes place.
Also at The Verge, Reuters, and CNN, and CBS.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Friday October 12 2018, @03:15PM
I met Jeanine Epps at Worldcon in 2016, and she expressed her hesitation to ride a Russian rocket. I think her distaste for Russian rockets is what got her flight scrubbed. Either that or someone on the ISS was sick and they needed a flight surgeon more than an engineer.
I know I'd trust a Space-X rocket a lot more than a Russian rocket (Not sure about the SLS, they've had some serious problems).
That said, if I could visit the ISS and the only way there was the Russians, I'd still go. It was an honor meeting a NASA astronaut. BTW, this story [mcgrewbooks.com] has the first use of the word "astronaut".
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org