Stock of food and water stored onboard the ISS will enable the crew to wait for the next Progress M-28M cargo vehicle arriving on July 5, – Russian ISS segment flight director Vladimir Solovyov said.
“Our program is based both on Russian and American segments with large stocks. We always have to consider off-nominal situations. In this case we will use food, water and oxygen reserves”, – Solovyov said.
According to him flight program won’t be reduced.
“The vehicle will replenish the stock we are going to use. That is why the program will be reduced by no means”, – he concluded.
On Sunday American Falcon 9 booster crashed resulting in the loss of Dragon cargo vehicle. The Booster was launched from Cape Canaveral (Florida) at 17.21, Moscow time. First two minutes after the launch everything was nominal but 2,5 minutes after the lift-off the booster exploded. SpaceX is supposed not to launch anything at least for several month, investigation may take up to half a year. Apart from foodstuffs and scientific equipment the vehicle was to deliver to the station docking node for future docking with American manned spacecrafts and new spacesuits for American astronauts.
However both Russian and American space agencies assure that ISS crew is out of danger.
“This accident happened to Falcon 9 won’t affect ISS operation. At the present time there is enough stock of everything necessary to ensure normal life and operation of ISS-44 mission crew”, – Roscosmos said.
NASA Head Charles Bolden also stated that the astronauts are safe onboard the station having stock enough for three months”.