Russian rocket falls back to Earth after liftoff

Source: AFP | May 16, 2014, Friday |

Online Edition

A Russian Proton rocket carrying an advanced communication satellite fell back to Earth on Friday shortly after liftoff in the latest accident to hit the country's once-proud space industry.

Russian space officials said the rocket's control engine failed 545 seconds after it took off from the Baikonur space centre that Moscow leases in Kazakhstan.

State television showed the Proton and its Express-AM4P satellite reported to be worth $29 million (21 million euros) burning up in the upper layers of the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean.

"We have an emergency situation," Channel One television showed a Russian flight commentator as saying.

"The flight is over," the commentator said.

Russia's Roscosmos federal space agency said it had formed a special commission "to analyse the telemetric data and discover the reasons for the emergency situation."

Channel One said the satellite -- built by Airbus Group's Astrium corporation -- was meant to provide Internet access to far-flung Russian regions with poor access to communication.

The RIA Novosti state news agency described it as "Russia's most powerful and advanced communication satellite".

World

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Russian rocket falls back to Earth after liftoff

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