Unmanned ISS cargo spacecraft out of control and falling back to earth

An unmanned Russian cargo spacecraft ferrying supplies to the International Space Station is plunging back to Earth and there are few clues as to where it will land, an official has said. Speaking ahead of an official Russian space agency statement expected later in the day, the official admitted the ship was uncontrollable and had started descending. He said Russian authorities would attempt to contact the ship again to make sure everything has been done to rescue it.

We have scheduled two more communication sessions to soothe our conscience.

Russian space official, speaking on condition of anonymity

A Soyuz rocket carrying the Progress M-27M spacecraft with supplies for the ISS successfully launched on Tuesday but communication with the vessel was lost soon afterwards. A spokesman for the Russian space agency, Mikhail Fadeyev, declined immediate comment. The loss of the Progress supply ship would be the latest embarrassment for Russia’s space programme that has been recently hit by a series of mishaps.

Science ISS