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Cargo spacecraft crashed because of fuel supply problem

It said the fuel supply tract to the gas generator of the third stage was choked up due to a production fault

MOSCOW, September 9 (Itar-Tass) —— The Progress cargo spacecraft crashed in August because of a fuel supply problem in the third stage of the Soyuz booster, the Roskosmos space agency said late on Thursday quoting the results of an investigation by a government commission.

It said the fuel supply tract to the gas generator of the third stage was choked up due to a production fault.

“The analysis of the operating parameters of the third stage engine and the results of telemetric information provided a conclusion about decreased fuel consumption in the gas generator because of choked supply tract. This resulted in incorrect operating conditions and decreased parameters of the engine which was stopped by the emergency engine stop command,” Roskosmos said.

“The exposed production defect was accidental,” it said adding the reason may be qualified as an isolated case only after checking all available engines.