Soyuz capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut lands off target in bone-jarring descent

Star Tribune ^ | 04/19/08 | MIKE ECKEL

[TigerLikesRooster]

Soyuz capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut lands off target in bone-jarring descent

By MIKE ECKEL , Associated Press

April 19, 2008

MOSCOW - A Russian capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut touched down 260 miles off target in northern Kazakhstan on Saturday after hurtling through the atmosphere in a bone-jarring descent from the international space station.

It was the second time in a row — and the third since 2003 — that the Soyuz landing went awry.

Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said the condition of the crew — South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko — was satisfactory, though the three had been subjected to severe gravitational forces during the re-entry.

The Russian TMA-11 craft touched down at 4:51 a.m. EDT about 260 miles off its mark, Lyndin said, a highly unusual distance given how precisely engineers plan for such landings. It was also around 20 minutes later than scheduled. Search helicopters then took 25 minutes to locate the capsule and determine the crew was unharmed.

Officials said the craft followed a so-called "ballistic re-entry" — a very steep trajectory that subjects the crew to extreme physical force. Lyndin said the crew had experienced gravitational forces up to 10 times those on Earth during the 3 1/2 hour descent.

The crew were being examined on site by medical officials, and were later to return to Moscow for further evaluation.

[TigerLikesRooster]

The smoldering landing site in Kazakhstan

Ground crew check the area around the Soyuz landing capsule after it landed in northern Kazakhstan Saturday April 19, 2008. The Soyuz capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut landed in northern Kazakhstan Saturday, several hundred kilometers off-target, Russian space officials said. Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said the condition of the crew South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko was satisfactory, though the three had been subjected to severe G-forces during the re-entry. (AP Photo/Shamil Zhumatov, Pool)

A rescue helicopter flies over smoke after the Soyuz capsule landed in northern Kazakhstan saturday April 19, 2008. The Soyuz capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut landed in northern Kazakhstan Saturday, several hundred kilometers off-target, Russian space officials said. Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said the condition of the crew South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko was satisfactory, though the three had been subjected to severe G-forces during the re-entry. (AP Photo/Shamil Zhumatov, Pool)

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[jalisco555]

40 years after Apollo and this is the best any nation can do. The US has nothing to brag about in this regard. Two generations squandered by all sides.

[caver]

Wow, I figured these things landed in the ocean? Hitting hard ground probably was a rough landing.

[kittymyrib]

Still trying to capture the multi-culturalism fostered by the old Star Wars movies, the USA endangers its expensive astronauts by subjecting them to primitive ventures with lesser countries. Amazing.

[tet68]

Still haven’t solved that pesky reentry have they.

A capsule with a history of problems regarding reentry and
landing.

A ballistic reentry, I guess not much skimming off the atmosphere eh.

I’d still rather take a chance on landing at the Cape.

[billorites]

"I’d still rather take a chance on landing at the Cape."

No matter how you do it, Dr. Newton still has the final word.

F=MA

Like my grandmother used to say, "Fly slow and stay close to the ground."

[grimalkin]

"You know in Russia, there are certain bad omens about this sort of thing, but thank God that everything worked out successfully," he said. "Of course in the future, we will work somehow to ensure that the number of women will not surpass" the number of men.

Challenged by a reporter, Perminov responded: "This isn't discrimination. I'm just saying that when a majority (of the crew) is female, sometimes certain kinds of unsanctioned behavior or something else occurs, that's what I'm talking about." He did not elaborate.

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LOL. Soooo... blame the women!

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Not far removed from Soyuz 1 in 1967.

Soyuz 1

[Calpernia]

Is ballistic re-entry a reference to a missile?

[driftdiver]

“Like my grandmother used to say, “Fly slow and stay close to the ground.” “

anything over 10mph and 20ft and it doesn’t matter. You’ll just have more time to say your last prayers if you are higher.

[CarrotAndStick]

Space is risky business, and no side has escaped catastrophic and deadly failures.

[driftdiver]

The women were probably putting makeup on or something.

[Jonah Hex]

The women were probably putting makeup on or something.

Are you saying somebody farded? ;-)

[SlowBoat407]

Is ballistic re-entry a reference to a missile?

It's a reference to motion that is based on an arc that combines an initial force with the laws of gravity. It basically puts Isaac Newton in the driver's seat, rather than any pilot on board the craft.

[BikerJoe]

Wow, I figured these things landed in the ocean? Hitting hard ground probably was a rough landing.

They have rockets that fire just before hitting the ground. The rockets probably started the grass fire seen in the pictures.

[Jonah Hex]

Types of rentry trajectories

[Non-Sequitur]

Wow, I figured these things landed in the ocean?

Russian capsules have always landed on ground.

[Calpernia]

Thank you

[Bean Counter]

Keep in mind that a Soyez is the prime rescue vehicle for the ISS. There is always one attached to the station and ready to go in case of emergency.

You have to hand it to the Russians though, they have simplicity in spacecraft design down to a fine art.