spacetoday.net: Proton failure blamed on improperly installed sensors

Posted: Fri, Jul 19, 2013, 7:35 AM ET (1135 GMT)
Proton M launch failure on 2013 July 2

Russian space agency officials said Thursday the crash of a Proton rocket earlier this month can be traced back to sensors that were installed in the rocket upside down. Officials said three of six angular velocity sensors on the Proton were incorrectly installed in the rocket, adding that they were unsure if the error was a mistake made by a technician or a flaw in blueprints for that rocket. Polygraph tests are planned for those who worked on the rocket. The Proton M, carrying three GLONASS communications satellites, lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 2 but veered out of control just seconds after liftoff, crashing a short distance from the launch pad. The earliest Proton launches could resume is the beginning of September, according to Roscosmos.