Russia loses contact with satellites, space station

by agence france-presse Posted on 11/14/2012 11:38 PM |Updated 11/14/2012 11:39 PM

MOSCOW, Russia - Russia on Wednesday, November 14 lost the ability to send commands to most of its satellites and its segment of the International Space Station following a power cable failure near Moscow.

The Roscosmos space agency attributed the embarrassing malfunction to basic road repair work near the the sprawling Korolyov mission control centre outside Moscow.

Officials said the problem may take 48 hours to fix and could theoretically delay the November 19 return to Earth of three ISS members who are completing their four-month mission on board the floating international space lab.

"We have not had a connection with the ground telemetry stationed in Russia for the past two hours," RIA Novosti quoted an unidentified source in the Russian space industry as saying.

"Our specialists lack the ability to control the civilian satellites or send commands to the Russian segment of the ISS," said the source, while adding the problem could take two days to fix.

"They can see the crew and can talk to them, but they cannot send any commands to the Russian segments."

Russia has suffered a string of failed satellite launches and rocket losses in the past two years that prompted reshuffles at the very top of the country's once-proud space industry.

But the agency has struggled to reform due to chronic underfunding and alleged corruption as well as a long-term inability to replace retiring Soviet-era specialists with fresh talent.

The main subsidiary of Roscosmos is currently the subject of a 6.5 billion ruble ($200 million) embezzlement probe that has fanned speculation over possible new sackings at the very top of Russian space command.

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Russia loses contact with satellites, space station