spacetoday.net: Proton to return to flight next month

Posted: Thu, Aug 15, 2013, 9:03 AM ET (1303 GMT)
Proton M launch failure on 2013 July 2

The Proton rocket will launch a commercial satellite in mid-September on its first launch since a dramatic launch failure last month. International Launch Services (ILS) said Wednesday that it has scheduled a Proton launch carrying the Astra 2E satellite for SES on September 15. That announcement came after ILS concluded its own review of the Russian investigation into a July 2 launch failure, when a Proton flew out of control and crashed seconds after liftoff, destroying three GLONASS navigation satellites. The Russian investigation blamed the failure on the improper installation of three sensors on the launch vehicle. One unnamed Russian expert raised concerns about returning to flight so soon, however, telling the Itar-Tass agency that a more thorough review should be conducted before resuming Proton launches.