Proton failure blamed on programming error
Posted: Wed, Aug 31, 2011, 7:56 PM ET (2356 GMT)
The loss of a communications satellite launched on a Proton rocket earlier this month has been blamed on a programming error in the guidance system of the rocket's upper stage, Russian officials said Tuesday. The Express-AM4 satellite was stranded in a transfer orbit when its Breeze-M upper stage failed to complete a series of five engine burns. The Russian space agency Roskosmos announced that investigators traced the failure to a guidance error in the upper stage that put it into the wrong orientation and thus injected the satellite into an "off-design" orbit. Russian officials have lifted the ban on Proton launches with "appropriate recommendations" to prevent the problem from happening again. The Express-AM4 satellite has been declared a total loss, though, since it cannot be moved to geosynchronous orbit. The Proton/Breeze-M failure is not related to last week's failed launch of a Progress spacecraft on a Soyuz rocket; that failure was in the gas generator in the rocket's upper stage, although investigators have yet to find the specific cause of the failure.
The loss of a communications satellite launched on a Proton rocket earlier this month has been blamed on a programming error in the guidance system of the rocket's upper stage, Russian officials said Tuesday. The Express-AM4 satellite was stranded in a transfer orbit when its Breeze-M upper stage failed to complete a series of five engine burns. The Russian space agency Roskosmos announced that investigators traced the failure to a guidance error in the upper stage that put it into the wrong orientation and thus injected the satellite into an "off-design" orbit. Russian officials have lifted the ban on Proton launches with "appropriate recommendations" to prevent the problem from happening again. The Express-AM4 satellite has been declared a total loss, though, since it cannot be moved to geosynchronous orbit. The Proton/Breeze-M failure is not related to last week's failed launch of a Progress spacecraft on a Soyuz rocket; that failure was in the gas generator in the rocket's upper stage, although investigators have yet to find the specific cause of the failure.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Starship explodes during preparations for static-fire test
Posted: Sun, Jun 22 6:52 AM ET (1052 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, July 5
Huge cost of my trip, what I saw – First Nigerian in space, Owolabi Salis
Punch (Nigeria) — 9:38 am ET (1338 GMT) Owolabi Salis Describes Travel to Space as ‘A Spiritual Journey,’ Urges African Youth to Explore Beyond Earth
Arise News — 9:37 am ET (1337 GMT) CoinDCX co-founder partners with ISRO scientists to launch Astrobase, raises $10 Mn
Entrackr — 9:37 am ET (1337 GMT) ISRO conducts student interactions with Gaganyatri onboard ISS
ISRO — 9:32 am ET (1332 GMT) Shux in space: ISRO's Shubhanshu Shukla conducts bone, radiation, and microgravity experiments on ISS
The Economic Times (India) — 9:31 am ET (1331 GMT) |
