The International Space Station didn't receive supplies needed after a botch mission by Russia. (Photo : Reuters)
A new Russian spacecraft failed to dock at the International Space Station (ISS), marking another technical botch from the Russian space program.
The spacecraft, which was actually a cargo ship, is known as Progress 47. The Russian Mission Control Center confirmed the mission to dock the cargo to the ISS was not successful, but did not elaborate on why.
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"The re-docking of the Russian ISS Progress 47 resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station has been postponed due to an apparent failure in the new Kurs-NA rendezvous system," said a statement from NASA.
The cargo ship will make another attempt to dock next Sunday, at approximately 6 p.m. (ET). The date was set for Sunday as a Japanese cargo ship is scheduled to dock on Friday.
What is unique about the cargo ship is it is unmanned. The purpose of the cargo ship is to also test an new docking system. Using the new Kurs-NA docking system, spacecrafts will have the ability to use less power and better safety due to the upgraded electronics.
"The test was proceeding normally until about the time that the new Kurs-NA rendezvous system was to be engaged," said a joint NASA statement. "As commands were being issued to activate the Kurs system, a failure was annunciated, triggering a passive abort."
The Progress 47 was sent to space back in April, delivering clothing, food, and other essentials for the crewmembers living aboard the orbiting outpost.
The Russian space program has seen multiple technical problems recently with the loss of satellites and vehicles, including a Progress cargo ship for the ISS.
Russian's Federal Space Agency is scheduled to launch another Progress cargo ship, 48, on August 1 from Kazakhstan.
There are currently six people in the ISS: Americans Joseph Acaba and Sunita Williams, Russians Yury Malenchenko, Gennady Padalka, and Sergei Revin, and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide.
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