Posted: Sat, Apr 26, 2003, 11:27 AM ET (1527 GMT)
The launch of a Proton booster carrying a commercial communications satellite has been delayed from early Tuesday until mid-May, Russian media reported Saturday. The Proton-K was scheduled to launch from Baikonur in the early morning hours of April 29 to place into orbit the AMC-9 communications satellite for SES Americom. However, RIA Novosti reported Saturday that the launch will be delayed because of a problem with the booster’s "acceleration unit", which may be a reference to the vehicle's Breeze-M upper stage. The vehicle, which had already been rolled out to the launch site, has been brought back to the assembly building for work. RIA Novosti reported that the problem will delay the launch by two and a half weeks. The launch is still slated to be the second Proton launch of 2003, after a Proton-K launched a Russian military satellite on Thursday.

Related Links:

•  RIA Novosti article