Russian spacecraft thundering in...with war artifacts

[Rekim]

The most recent Progress cargo ship launched by the Russian's on a mission to resupply the International Space Station has gone completely pear-shaped. Control of the spacecraft was lost shortly after launch and the mission appears to be a complete loss at this point:

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/04/29/russia-gives-up-on-progress-supply-ship-docking/

Here are some details that I came across of particular interest to us grogs that aren't being mentioned in the mainstream media at the moment (I'll try to dig up a link):

Roscosmos space agency said earlier this month that the ship would also carry a copy of the Soviet Victory Banner: the red flag three Red Army soldiers raised over the Reichstag building in Berlin on May 1, 1945. The flag, which is the official symbol of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany that Russia will commemorate on May 9, was to be used by Russian cosmonauts to send their greetings to the nation on that day.

Last week was also a tough one for the Russian space industry. Something went wrong with the launch of the experimental Angara A5 rocket from the Plesetsk Space Center, which crashed near a local village.

[Rekim]

A video feed from the tumbling Progress

[Centurion40]

And how long it take before some money grubbing UFO "enthusiast" claims to have spotted an alien spaceship in the video?

[Staggerwing]

I see one! Look look!!! Right between the single zero and the two zeros!

[BanzaiCat]

Looks like the Russians are doing the Kerbal version of their space program...

[Nefaro]

The most recent Progress cargo ship launched by the Russian's on a mission to resupply the International Space Station has gone completely pear-shaped. Control of the spacecraft was lost shortly after launch and the mission appears to be a complete loss at this point:

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/04/29/russia-gives-up-on-progress-supply-ship-docking/

Here are some details that I came across of particular interest to us grogs that aren't being mentioned in the mainstream media at the moment (I'll try to dig up a link):

Roscosmos space agency said earlier this month that the ship would also carry a copy of the Soviet Victory Banner: the red flag three Red Army soldiers raised over the Reichstag building in Berlin on May 1, 1945. The flag, which is the official symbol of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany that Russia will commemorate on May 9, was to be used by Russian cosmonauts to send their greetings to the nation on that day.

Last week was also a tough one for the Russian space industry. Something went wrong with the launch of the experimental Angara A5 rocket from the Plesetsk Space Center, which crashed near a local village.

Says it was carrying a "copy", so I'm guessing it wasn't an actual artifact.

Do the Russians normally parade the old Soviet flag out on national holidays?  Or has it been increasing lately?

[Barthheart]

Why does the video jump every time the Sun comes into frame?  ???

[Nefaro]

Why does the video jump every time the Sun comes into frame?  ???

The solar wind causing some EM disruption with the cam??

[MikeGER]

...the flag was just a copy not an artifact and even the real one are just a flag used in the fake reenactment of storming the Reichstag to get some good footage for Stalins propaganda a short time after the real event. :P

i have read there were about 40 pieces of debris traveling in a cloud with the spaceship, so maybe a small explosion or a hit by a very small object (spacedebris ,meteor ) in the flightpath are the cause of the loss

[LongBlade]

Maybe they should get out of the space race and focus on things close to home like submarine construction.

[Nefaro]

Maybe they should get out of the space race and focus on things close to home like submarine construction.

Haven't the Russkies been the primary haulers up to the ISS?

[Airborne Rifles]

...the flag was just a copy not an artifact and even the real one are just a flag used in the fake reenactment of storming the Reichstag to get some good footage for Stalins propaganda a short time after the real event. :P

Which doesn't detract from the fact that they did actually storm the Reichstag, something for which they're justify only proud.

[Airborne Rifles]

Whatever their failings, at this point they can look at us and say "at least we have a space program capable of hauling cargo"

[BanzaiCat]

Their political will to "get shit done" is definitely higher than ours, right now.

Whether or not they squander it and/or screw it up is another matter entirely.

[LongBlade]

Whatever their failings, at this point they can look at us and say "at least we have a space program capable of hauling cargo"

Yes, but we can look at them and say "we have a healthcare plan where if you like your doctor you can keep him."

Then we can all laugh together and enjoy a moment of international humor and goodwill.