Proton launch fails
Posted: Fri, May 16, 2014, 11:05 AM ET (1505 GMT)
A Proton rocket suffered a malfunction several minutes after liftoff early Friday, causing the loss of the rocket and its satellite payload. The Proton M rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 5:42 pm EDT Thursday (2142 GMT Thursday, 3:42 am Friday local time) carrying the Express AM4R communications satellite. The launch initially appeared to go well, but several minutes after liftoff Russian officials reported an "emergency situation" with the rocket. Officials said later that the rocket's third stage suffered an unspecified malfunction about nine minutes after liftoff, dooming the mission. Debris from the upper stage or satellite was reportedly found in northeast China. Express AM4R was an advanced communications satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space, valued at more than $200 million, that was to provide a variety of communications services from 80 degrees east in GEO. The failure is the second Proton accident in less than a year, after a Proton crashed seconds after liftoff in July on a mission to deploy GLONASS navigation satellites.
A Proton rocket suffered a malfunction several minutes after liftoff early Friday, causing the loss of the rocket and its satellite payload. The Proton M rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 5:42 pm EDT Thursday (2142 GMT Thursday, 3:42 am Friday local time) carrying the Express AM4R communications satellite. The launch initially appeared to go well, but several minutes after liftoff Russian officials reported an "emergency situation" with the rocket. Officials said later that the rocket's third stage suffered an unspecified malfunction about nine minutes after liftoff, dooming the mission. Debris from the upper stage or satellite was reportedly found in northeast China. Express AM4R was an advanced communications satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space, valued at more than $200 million, that was to provide a variety of communications services from 80 degrees east in GEO. The failure is the second Proton accident in less than a year, after a Proton crashed seconds after liftoff in July on a mission to deploy GLONASS navigation satellites.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, September 17
Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites scheduled for Wednesday morning
KEYT-TV Santa Barbara, CA — 1:34 am ET (0534 GMT) Colorado Springs springs into action amid loss of Space Command
Washington Times — 1:34 am ET (0534 GMT) SpaceX rocket-launching license survives NEPA challenge
POLITICO — 1:30 am ET (0530 GMT) SpaceX Eyes First Starship Version 3 Launch In ’25 Or ’26
Aviation Week — 1:29 am ET (0529 GMT) Judge dismisses suit challenging SpaceX's Starship approval
Houston Chronicle — 1:28 am ET (0528 GMT) |
