Source: Russianspaceweb.com The year 2012 was a difficult one for the Russian space program, which ended on a sour note when its workhorse Proton boosted placed a Yamal-402 satellite in the wrong orbit. It was eventually boosted to the correct orbit using onboard fuel, albeit at a cost to its expected lifespan. This came on the heals of […]
Sources: RIA Novosti, Spacepolicyonline.com Investigation of a December 8 launch incident which saw a Proton booster deliver the Yamal 402 satellite to the wrong orbit has focused on a failed turbopump bearing in the Briz-M upper stage. Although the satellite was eventually boosted to the proper orbit using its own on-board propellant, the mission saving manuever did not come without a cost, most likely […]
Source RIA Novosti: A Russian Proton-M rocket marked by International Launch Services failed to place a Gazprom Space Systems communications satellite into the correct orbit following a 5:13 PM launch (Moscow time) from the Baikononur Space Center in Kazakstan on Saturday, December 8. According to early reports, the Yamal-402 satellite, built by Thales Alenia and consisting of 46 KU band transponders, separated four minutes earlier […]
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