A ruptured oxidant tank on the third stage of a carrier rocket most likely caused a recent accident involving a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft, Russia's space corporation Roscosmos said Wednesday.

The Progress MS-04 space freighter burned up in the atmosphere and its debris fell in south Siberia's Tuva Republic after a faulty launch on board a Soyuz-U carrier rocket on December 1.

"Investigators have established that the most likely cause of the accident was a rupture of an oxidant tank on the third stage of the carrier rocket following the destruction of a 11D55 engine...," Roscosmos said in a statement.

The corporation will also unveil the safety plan for the upcoming launch of the Progress MS-05. The launch has been scheduled for February 21, 2017 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

++ Russian Space Agency Confirms Progress Cargo Spacecraft Burns Up in Atmosphere

Russian space agency Roscosmos has confirmed that Progress cargo spacecraft burned up it the atmosphere and its debris fell in south Siberia's Tuva Republic.

"As a result of an abnormal situation, the loss of the Progress cargo ship took place at an altitude of 190 kilometers [some 118 miles] above an unpopulated mountainous area in Tuva; most of the fragments burned up in the [Earth's] atmosphere, according to preliminary data," Roscosmos press service said.

Earlier in the day, a source told RIA Novosti that the debris of the Progress cargo spacecraft supposedly fell in Russia's Republic of Tuva in south Siberia.

Russia's Roscosmos space corporation reported earlier on Thursday it had lost telemetry exchange with the Progress MS-04 space freighter some six minutes after the launch on board a Soyuz carrier rocket. The Roscosmos press service stressed that the loss of the cargo ship will not affect the routine operations of the ISS and the crew.

A state commission currently analyzes the incident. "The loss of the cargo ship will not affect the routine operations of the ISS and the life of the crew."

Earlier in the day, Russian Soyuz-U carrier rocket was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome carrying the new Progress MS-04 cargo spacecraft. The Progress space freighter has been carrying more than 2.6 metric tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 50 crew aboard the ISS.

Source: Sputnik News