Roskosmos general director Dmitry Rogozin called the reason for the unplanned activation of the engines of the multifunctional laboratory module (MLM) “Science”, which dashed to the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS). His words report RIA Novosti.
“That is, there was such an euphoria, people in some sense relaxed. Perhaps someone from the operators did not take into account that the control system of the block itself will continue to adjust itself in space. And she determined this one after three hours and gave it Inclusion of engines, “said Rogozin.
He clarified that a 20-ton multifunctional laboratory module costs 18 billion rubles. “To lose 18 billion rubles is much worse,” said the manager, explaining the reason for which the state corporation decided to launch MLM into space instead of sending it to the museum.
July 29, RIA Novosti, referring to negotiations with the Center for Flight Management, reported that the engines of “science” docked to the ISS were improperly earned. The reason for this in the state corporation was called short-term software failure.
MLM docked to the ISS on July 29. On it, “Science” took the place of the Pierce module, which, with the help of the “Progress MS-16” cargo ship, was reflected from the Russian station segment.
Start of heavy missile “Proton-M” with “Science” from the Baikonur cosmodrome took place on July 21.
“Science” was built the center of Khrunichev from the mid-1990s. To start the 20-ton module was calculated in 2007, but the deadlines were repeatedly transferred twice – in 2013 and 2016 – due to detection of pollution in fuel tanks.