Soyuz spacecraft undocking delayed

11:53, 24 September 2010

KOROLYOV. September 24. KAZINFORM For the first time in the history of the International Space Station (ISS) the Soyuz spacecraft failed to undock on time on Friday; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.

The Russian Mission Control center said "an irregular situation occurred" and some commands were not fulfilled for technical reasons.

Soyuz TMA-18 spaceship with Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Korniyenko and NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson was scheduled to undock at 05:35 hours Moscow time and land in Kazakh steppe at 08:55 hours.

The Mission Control Center said the situation is not critical. If the spacecraft does not undock immediately, it will make another attempt in three hours after the ISS twice circles the Earth.

During the time mission control experts will analyze the situation and work to eliminate technical problems.

In that case the spacecraft will land in Kazakh steppe approximately at 12:00 hours Moscow time.

News World News