A Russian cargo ship burnt to a crisp in Earth's atmosphere while ISS astronauts watched

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By Brett Tingley
published

A Russian spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station, only to burn up in Earth's atmosphere hours later as part of a routine waste disposal mission.

The Russian Progress MS-23 cargo ship burns up in Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 29, 2023.
The Russian Progress MS-23 cargo ship burns up in Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 29, 2023. (Image credit: NASA/Jasmin Moghbeli)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station got a front-row seat to some rare atmospheric "fireworks."

On Nov. 29, the Russian Progress MS-23 cargo spacecraft departed from the International Space Station (ISS) with a load of refuse no longer needed on the orbital outpost. Specifically, the spacecraft was carrying "old equipment and household waste, or everything the experts have decided to toss from the station," Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko told Russian media outlet TASS.

The Russian Progress MS-23 cargo ship burns up in Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 29, 2023. (Image credit: NASA/Jasmin Moghbeli)

Just four hours after Progress MS-23 undocked, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli was able to locate the reentering spacecraft and photograph it as it burned up in Earth's atmosphere, leading to some incredible photographs taken from aboard the ISS.

The Russian Progress MS-23 cargo ship burns up in Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 29, 2023. (Image credit: NASA/Jasmin Moghbeli)

"It happened faster than I thought and was only visible for about 2-3 minutes. It reminded me a bit of fireworks, especially when it broke apart," Moghbeli wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. "Thanks to those on the ground who helped direct me in where to look!"

The Russian Progress MS-23 cargo ship breaks apart in Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 29, 2023. (Image credit: NASA/Jasmin Moghbeli)

Most of the spacecraft and its contents were incinerated high above Earth, but some of the material made its way down into the Pacific Ocean, Russian space agency Roscosmos reported on Wednesday.

Such fiery reentries are standard practice for non-reusable cargo craft departing the ISS. Two of the three spacecraft currently used for freight deliveries, the Russian Progress capsule, and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus vehicle, are routinely disposed of in the atmosphere once they have delivered their supplies and room on the station's docking ports is needed for a new cargo delivery.

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The third spacecraft currently in use for these cargo runs, SpaceX's Dragon capsule, is able to return home for safe splashdowns and future reuse, however.

Another Progress spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 4:25 a.m. EST (0925 GMT) on Friday, Dec. 1, carrying three tons of food, fuel and other supplies for the astronauts and cosmonauts currently aboard the space station as part of the Expedition 70 mission.

Docking was set for 6:14 a.m. EDT (1114 GMT) on Sunday (Dec. 3).

Originally posted on Space.com.

Brett Tingley
Editor, Space.com

Brett is a science and technology journalist who is curious about emerging concepts in spaceflight and aerospace, alternative launch concepts, anti-satellite technologies, and uncrewed systems. Brett's work has appeared on The War Zone at TheDrive.com, Popular Science, the History Channel, Science Discovery, and more. Brett has English degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his free time, Brett is a working musician, a hobbyist electronics engineer and cosplayer, an avid LEGO fan, and enjoys hiking and camping throughout the Appalachian Mountains with his wife and two children.