Soyuz rocket failure

[Phillbo]

In what might be the first case that I can recall it seems that the Soyuz rocket that was taking off to the ISS today with two people on board failed shortly after launch and the capsule was sent on a balastic recovery course instead of into space. It looks like everyone landed safely and the abort during launch procedures actually worked as designed.

https://www.space.com/...edition-57-crew.html

Thats sure to make what should have been an exciting event even more so.

[Billy_Rightwing]

At least there alive and that's better than a couple our flights didn't go that well.

[TxMusky]

Do we get our 70 million dollars back or is the next ride free?

[Honda]

Yes I thought that was incredible that they were able to get back. Great technology. The rocket itself not so great..............

[Phillbo]

Details are still sketchy but it looks like it happened right after the boosters (they call them the "first stage") were dropped, and right after the escape tower was jettisoned. Which could make it a booster separation problem. That would make for a very busy minute or so as the Soyuz was detached, the rest of the fairings were ejected, the orbital module and service module were detached and the capsule reoriented for re-entry. Fortunately everyone was OK.

It also means that we have no way to get to the ISS for now, since they've shut down operations to investigate. Both Boeing and SpaceX are about a year away from their first manned flight. (SpaceX is now saying April 19th 2019, but their schedules have a way of slipping.)

[UTAH]

I read an interview in the paper today that was completed with the American astronaut. He really seemed to appreciate his survival of the accident.

Hunter