December 2, 2016

Progress MS-04 cargo vehicle launched to the ISS on December 01, 2016, at 17:51:52, Moscow time, burst at the altitude of 190 km above desolate mountain area in Tuva region. Most parts of the spacecraft burned in dense atmosphere.
The vehicle was to deliver to the ISS more than 2,5 tons of cargoes including propellant components, water, pressurized gas, Lada-2 space greenhouse designated to be used for growing sweet pepper onboard, Orlan-MKS modified spacecraft equipped with automated thermal control system that would enable cosmonauts not to spend time on turning heating system on and off manually and new year parcels for ISS-50 crew members.
First minutes of flight after the launch all systems including 1st and 2nd stages operated nominally. When 3rd stage was ignited MCC specialists started having problems with telemetry. According to preliminary data 3rd stage engine could have been ignited ahead of time. The specialists failed to obtain precise info so far.
According to Roscosmos telemetry was lost at 383 second of the flight.
At the same time they received data on navigation system antenna deployment. Solar arrays also started deploying but it is not clear whether the deployed to the full extent.
Soyuz-U that was planned to orbit next Progress will be thoroughly checked by the specialists and the launch will be shifted to an uncertain date until the investigation board finishes its work. There is also a strong possibility that because of Progress MS-04 crash next vehicle Progress MS-05 will be launched ahead of initial schedule.

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