Don Quijote concept
The key moment of the Don Quijote mission: the Impactor spacecraft (Hidalgo) smashes into the asteroid while observed, from a safe distance, by the Orbiter spacecraft (Sancho) Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

A Russian spacecraft supplying six astronauts aboard the International Space Station failed to reach orbit on Wednesday and burned up in the atmosphere, its debris crashing in Siberia, Interfax news reported.

The cargo spacecraft Progress, which did not reach orbit, crashed on the territory of (Russia's) Altai republic, Interfax quoted a local law enforcement source as saying.

The agency earlier reported a space industry source as saying that an emergency situation had arisen shortly after the cargo ship's launch from the Russian-leased Baikonur launchpad in Kazakhstan at 1300 GMT (9 a.m. ET) on Wednesday.

Russia International Space Station Space