Posted on 05/15/2014 5:07:47 PM PDT by tcrlaf
A Russian Proton-M rocket with an advanced satellite on board crashed outside of Kazakhstan's territory on Friday, about nine minutes after lift-off. The Express-AM4R would have been Russias most advanced and powerful satellite.
There are so far no reports of damage or casualties resulting from the Proton-M's failure to deliver the satellite into orbit.
The rocket could have crashed over the Altai Mountains or the Pacific Ocean, a source told RIA Novosti.
All other launches of Proton-type rockets will be halted at Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan until the reason for the crash is determined, a source told RIA Novosti.
(Excerpt) Read more at rt.com ...
They don’t know where it crashed? You mean to tell me a rocket powerful enough to get a payload to space, carrying a satellite, didn’t have any kind way to be tracked by GPS?
crashed on its own or with help
Ok, I’ll hush, that headline’s too easy a target .. lol
9 minutes after lift off is nearly in low orbit.
/johnny
/johnny
Those mountains are a long way from the Pacific.
“Ok, Ill hush, that headlines too easy a target .. lol”
Ya, I suspect even an advanced satellite has a hard time carrying a proton rocket. That is kind of how it read.
Try this one on. “Russian Proton Rocket, Carrying an Advanced Satellite, crashes.”
Was thinking the same thing, 9 minutes, that sucker was pretty well hooked up speed wise.
Wonder if they hit the self destruct when they saw it wouldn't reach orbital speed.
I’m guessing it probably went down over the Pacific. At 9 minutes it would have been much further downrange than the Altai Mountains.
Mixed syntax or something? Reminds me of the silly yuletide song, “Throw The Yule Log On Uncle John.”
Perhaps they should use Trampolines to launch their satellites... :-)
The Proton was a reliable launch vehicle for a large number of the Iridium block 1 satellites (over 100 spacecraft)
I know, I was just shooting back their snark at us.
They have recently had some problems with this (very large) rocket. Heads will roll. In the old days, that was literally true.
Russian space program is more intensive than of the rest of the world combined. It is more likely for them to have a crash in hundred launches than for a NASA, launching a dozen missions for that same period of time. Not to mention that NASA and military are using Russian equipment to launch their stuff.
Russian space program is more intensive than of the rest of the world combined. It is more likely for them to have a crash in hundred launches than for a NASA, launching a dozen missions for that same period of time. Not to mention that NASA and military are using Russian equipment to launch their stuff.
...
This makes two big failures in a matter of weeks. I wonder if our spooks have something to do with it.
I’m also recalling that we had a Navy satellite “shatter” in space a few months ago.
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