A Russian
rocket carrier has crashed in Siberia shortly after its launch, the Interfax
news agency reported. The recent numbers of accidents has tarnished the
reputation of the Russian space industry.
Deutsche Welle, 16 May 2015
The
Interfax news agency reported on Saturday that the Russian Rocket, Proton M,
carrying a Mexican Satellite crashed in a sparsely populated area of Siberia.
It was not
immediately clear if there was any damage caused by the crash in the Chita area
of southern Siberia where the rocket came down, the report said.
According
to Russian space experts, the rocket may have been carrying up to 10 tons of
toxic fuel.
The rocket
was lost after taking off ffrom Baikunor for the International Space Station in
Baikonur in the central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan.
The
satellite on board the rocket carrier was intended to serve Mexico and other
parts of South America.
The Russian
Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, reported that in a separate space failure on
Saturday, the Russian spacecraft Progress failed to ignite its engine and to
adjust the orbit of the International Space Station just a few hours before
Proton's crash.
According
to Russian media, the lives of the crew are not in danger.
Russia's
space program in trouble
The
Interfax news agency, however, quoted industry sources saying the crash could
result in the suspension of all upcoming Proton-M launches, including the next
one in June for a British satellite.
Russia's
space program, which pioneered space exploration with the launch of the first
satellite and the first man into space, has experienced a troubling number of accidents in recent years. This is the latest breakdown to hit Russia's
troubled space industry.
ra/bw (dpa, AP, Intrerfax)
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