Parts of unmanned Russian spaceship burn up over Dubai

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Parts of unmanned Russian spaceship burn up over Dubai

2017-10-18 12:48 Last Updated At：12:48

Parts of an unmanned Russian cargo spaceship burned across the night sky of the Arabian Peninsula, drawing gasps from Dubai to Riyadh before breaking up in the Earth's atmosphere and scattering in the Indian Ocean.

The fiery end Monday night to parts of Progress MS-07 came as planned after it delivered 2.5 metric tons (2.75 tons) of water, food and scientific equipment to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

But its 80-second appearance in the skies of the United Arab Emirates stunned onlookers in a region where Iran regularly test-fires ballistic missiles and Shiite rebels in Yemen have threatened to use them against Abu Dhabi. Even a day later, government officials still hadn't corrected their earlier statements identifying the object as a meteor.

The disposable spacecraft blasted off Saturday from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch complex in Kazakhstan. Its rockets and stages earlier fell harmlessly and largely unnoticed into the atmosphere, said Hasan Ahmad al-Hariri, the CEO of the Dubai Astronomy Group.

Parts of the ship could be seen re-entering the atmosphere from 7:35 p.m. (1535 GMT) Monday, al-Hariri said. It streaked across the Dubai skyline behind the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, drawing both stunned and anxious reaction from those watching.

"It was quite visible for the public," al-Hariri told The Associated Press. "It's not something you see every day. It was beautiful to see that thing up in the sky, disintegrating into pieces."

Soon, "people were banging me with calls," he said.

The governmental Dubai Media Office, citing the sheikhdom's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, quickly described the aerial display a "meteorite." The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that "the meteor was a natural and regular phenomenon at this time of the year."

But it wasn't a meteor. Al-Hariri said it was the 6.5-meter (21.3-foot)-long spaceship breaking up some 140 kilometers (87 miles) in the sky.

NASA told the AP on Tuesday night that the spaceship made it to the International Space Station early Monday morning. It referred further questions to the U.S. Joint Space Operations Center, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, which hopes to launch a probe to Mars in 2020, did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

The UAE announced in February it wanted to build the first city on Mars by 2117.

For al-Hariri, whose semi-governmental organization hopes to soon open its Al Thuraya Astronomy Center along the flight path of the Dubai International Airport, the incident Monday night shows the importance of educating the public about the wonders of space. He noted that despite the UAE's rapid development, its empty deserts offer beautiful viewing of the stars at night, including glimpses of the Milky Way.

"It was something that was really worth to look at," he said. "It was beautiful to see."

Defending champs Alcaraz and Sabalenka win opening matches at Madrid Open

2024-04-27 01:37 Last Updated At：01:41

MADRID (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz didn’t need to put his tender right arm to the test to ease to a victory in his opening match at the Madrid Open on Friday.

The two-time defending champion was playing for the first time in nearly a month after his injured arm ruled him out of Monte Carlo and Barcelona. And after doubting this week he would be good to go in Spain’s capital, Alcaraz admitted he could afford to hold up just a bit in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Alexander Shevchenko.

“I didn’t hit my forehand 100%. I hit it softer than I used to hit it, but I think it helped me, you know, to, let’s say, stay relaxed,” Alcaraz said. “But the first thing that I was thinking about when I was stepping on the court is to stay healthy.

“I was really happy to not feel anything in the forearm, and after that I could increase my intensity a bit. It was great for me this match."

Defending women's champion Aryna Sabalenka faced tougher resistance in her opening match while beating Magda Linette 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on the Caja Magica clay.

This was Alcaraz’s first match since the Miami Open quarterfinals nearly one month ago. Madrid is the Spaniard's first appearance on the European clay court swing — he struggled in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro in February — as he aims to win his first French Open title next month.

“Right now I’m thinking to be better or get better every day, and I’m thinking to be closer to my 100% here in Madrid." the two-time major champion said. "Let’s see how it’s going to be the next few weeks. But the main thing is to be ready for next tournament and obviously to Roland Garros.”

In Madrid, the third-ranked Alcaraz is seeded second behind Jannik Sinner and both enjoyed first-round byes.

Alcaraz played with a compression sleeve on his right arm from his wrist up past his elbow. But he looked pretty much like the same aggressive player who has dominated here for the past two years and given Spanish tennis fans hope there is life after Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz broke Shevchenko’s serve four times and will next face Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil.

Seyboth Wild upset Daniil Medvedev at last year's French Open and should offer a stiffer challenge to Alcaraz in the round of 32.

Seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 6-4. Rublev’s last win came at Indian Wells in March.

Tommy Paul got past qualifier Lukas Klein 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4 in his first clay match of the season after missing Monte Carlo due to injury.

Eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz beat Jack Draper 6-1, 7-5, while Denis Shapovalov, Francisco Cerdundolo, Alejandro Davidovich, Daniel Altmaier, and Sebastian Baez also moved on.

SABALENKA'S SLOW START

The second-ranked Sabalenka struggled with her serve at times against Linette, but the two-time Australian Open winner struck her 10th ace on match point.

Sabalenka got some help from the net to get a key break and go up 5-3 in the third set when Linette was unable to reach a shot by the Belarusian that clipped the top of the tape.

Sabalenka has either won it all in Madrid as she did in 2021 and last year, or gone out in the first round as she did in 2018, 2019 and 2022.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a good sign and I will keep it like that,” she said. “I either lose in the first or I win (the title).”

Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-3 to take her season-leading win haul to 27 as she seeks her fourth title of 2024.

Rybakina will next face Egypt’s Mayar Sherif after she upset Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round.

Fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen, who lost the Australian Open final to Sabalenka, withdrew with a right thigh injury while trailing Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 2-0.

Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who made her breakout at Madrid last year, bettered Linda Noskova 4-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Carolina Garcia, and Jasmine Paolini also advanced.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis