Dazzling Proton-M Returns to Flight With Astra 2E Communications Satellite

By Ben Evans, on September 30th, 2013

Less than three months after its dismal first-stage failure, International Launch Services (ILS) and its partners have triumphantly returned the Proton-M to flight. Liftoff from Baikonur occurred at 3:38 a.m. local time Monday (5:38 p.m. EDT Sunday). Photo Credit: ILS, with additional thanks to Mike Barrett

Eighty-nine days after a Khrunichev-built Proton-M booster […]

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Proton-M Poised for Return to Flight Mission Sunday Night

By Ben Evans, on September 29th, 2013

Laden with the Astra 2E communications satellite, Russia’s giant Proton-M is rolled horizontally to Pad 39 at Site 200 at Baikonur on Thursday, 26 September. Photo Credit: ILS

Less than three months after the spectacular—though catastrophic—loss of a Proton-M booster in July, International Launch Services (ILS) is primed to return the venerable vehicle […]

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Medvedev Reprimands Roscosmos Chief

By Space Safety Magazine, on August 4th, 2013

Roscosmos Chief Vladimir Popovkin has been reprimanded by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Photo Credit: Ria Novosti

On August 2, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev issued an official reprimand to Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin citing incompetence.

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Proton Launch Failure Update: Culprit Found

By Space Safety Magazine, on July 10th, 2013

Angular velocity sensors installed upside down may account for the July 1 Proton-M launch taking a nosedive. Photo Credit: Tsenki TV

It appears a likely culprit of the July 1 Proton-M launch failure has been discovered. In the first English-language report, Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb, relates that investigators combing through wreckage from the […]

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Update on Proton-M Launch Failure Fall-out

By Space Safety Magazine, on July 6th, 2013

Photo Credit: Roscosmos / Vesti.ru

In the days since the spectacular failure of a Proton-M rocket seconds after its July 1 launch, a few more details have surfaced to shed a little light on the event. So far, most sources are being reported as anonymous and no information has been made public by […]

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Repercussions of Proton-M’s Fiery Launch Failure

By Space Safety Magazine, on July 6th, 2013

Photo Credit: Tsenki TV

At 8:38 a.m. local time on July 2, a three-stage Proton-M with Block DM-03 upper stage took off from Baikonur Cosmodrome’s launch pad 24 at launch complex 81 carrying three GLONASS-M navigation satellites. Less than a minute later, the rocket and its cargo was back on the ground in […]

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ISRO Successfully Launches Navigation Satellite Hours Before Russian Proton Disaster

By Jason Rhian, on July 2nd, 2013

[youtube_video]http://youtu.be/nt7EGo2yZvU[/youtube_video]

Video courtesy of ISRO

Within less than 24 hours, one space agency successfully launched a rocket with its spacecraft, as another suffered a spectacular failure. On July 1, 2013, at 2:11 p.m. EDT (11:41 p.m. local time ), an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, or “PSLV,” launched the first of […]

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Proton Rocket With GLONASS Explodes in Massive Fireball

By Jason Rhian, on July 2nd, 2013

[youtube_video]http://youtu.be/aZSqd06wzQ4[/youtube_video]

Video courtesy of Roscosmos

A Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) Proton rocket carrying three GLONASS navigation satellites went out of control, resulting in a huge explosion. Shortly after liftoff on Monday, June 1, the Proton can be seen swaying wildly side to side, before arcing back toward Earth and plummeting […]

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