Esrange: Risk that the Russian spacecraft does not burn up – New Technology

       

Progress would transport the equipment to the International Space Station, but mission control in Kazakhstan lost contact with the craft immediately after starting last Tuesday.

The European Space Agency has asked the Swedish Esrange if they can help to try to make contact with the craft.

- They went out and asked the organizations and companies they work with if someone could receive and transmit at the odd low-frequency VHF band. Since we have rocket and balloon activities at Esrange, we have such technical systems, says Lars Poromaa, director of technological development at Esrange.

Now wait Esrange more information about exactly what frequency signal is at, how it should be decoded and the craft’s estimated origin runway looks. Next comes the Esrange to make an assessment of its technical systems can handle the task.

– We need to get a formal request and the details of To accomplish the mission. We have people on standby now, we get information, we will go out and start working, says Lars Poromaa.

How do you see your opportunities to succeed in getting contact with the craft?

– It is difficult to say because the craft condition is unknown. It may happen that all the electrical systems have been wiped out, then there will be no signal. But if you can trace the signal and follow it, you can count on the track was the craft makes a reentry. There is a risk that everything does not have time to burn up, I guess that becomes mission, to identify where there may be an impact, says Lars Poromaa.

The signal is expected to remain at about 160 megahertz, which is a Russian default.

Why do that you could make contact with the vessel on the VHF band of Russians have not done it?

– You want enough more stations will be involved and look. The spacecraft has lost its course and if you are looking for in a large window maybe it is more likely to succeed if more facilities are looking for, says Lars Poromaa.

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