A failed Russian Breeze-M rocket booster posed no threat to the International Space Station (ISS), Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said Thursday.
After the unsuccessful Aug. 6 launch of the Proton-M carrier rocket, four modules, including two communication satellites, the Breeze-M booster and a linking device, were circling the Earth at an irregular orbit, local media reported.
"If any threat to the ISS appears, corresponding orders will be given to the crew to adjust the station's orbit," Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin told reporters.
The space debris was under constant monitoring by Russian and U.S. control centers, Popovkin said, adding there had been no "unpredictable threats" to the ISS.
He also denied reports that the Breeze-M fuel might explode.
"After the emergency took place, the excess pressure in the fuel tanks was released," Popovkin said.
He said there was no reason to believe the remaining fuel could explode.
A state commission investigating the reasons for the failed launch found the accident was caused by gross malfunctions in the Breeze-M booster as well as minor problems in the third stage of the Proton-M carrier rocket. |