Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Progress M-27M — was launched April 28 from Area 31 of the Baikonur launch site.
Credit: OAO RSC Energia

Photographer Grahame Kelaher posted this image on Facebook May 7 that captured the high-flying Progress zipping across Perth, Australia skies. “It was fast going overhead,” Kelaher said.
Credit: Grahame Kelaher

The errant Russian supply ship intended to link up with the International Space Station has made a destructive plunge to Earth.

The United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) pegged the Progress 59 fall to Earth on May 8 at 02:20 UTC, within a 1 minute window.

According to a European Space Agency (ESA) Internet posting, the final time of the Progress reentry corresponds to an altitude of around 50 miles (80 kilometers), so, roughly, 10 minutes from touchdown.

“This would have been the point in time where the re-entering object was the hottest and so observable from space. This time also corresponds to a location of 51 Degrees South latitude and 273 Degrees East longitude, over the ocean west of the southern tip of the coast of Chile,” explained the ESA statement.

The spin you’re in!

The uncrewed Progress 59 cargo craft – packed with tons of equipment, food, water and propellant — was boosted spaceward April 28 atop a Soyuz launcher, headed for a docking with the ISS.

Shortly after launch, however, the vessel experienced technical woes, going into a spin – perhaps the result of a problem with the Soyuz booster’s third stage.

Progress M-27M being readied for launch.
Credit: OAO RSC Energia

For more details on the fall from space of Progress, go to:

Out-of-Control Russian Cargo Spaceship Falls Back to Earth
by Leonard David, Space.com’s Space Insider Columnist
May 08, 2015 02:08am ET

http://www.space.com/29351-russian-progress-cargo-spacecraft-reentry.html