spacetoday.net: Proton launch postponed

Proton launch postponed

Posted: Thu, Nov 27, 2014, 10:26 AM ET (1526 GMT)
Proton M on pad before Astra 2G launch (Roscosmos)

Russian officials postponed this week's scheduled launch of a Proton rocket carrying a European communications satellite because of a technical issue with the rocket. The Proton M rocket was scheduled to launch early Friday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying the Astra 2G communications satellite for SES. However, on Wednesday officials postponed the launch, citing "off-nominal operation" of a gyro in the rocket's upper stage. No new launch date has been announced, but reports suggest the launch will be postponed to at least mid-December in order to destack the rocket and replace the faulty gyro.