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MISSING RUSSIAN SATELLITE FOUND OFF THE DESIGNATED ORBIT
PanARMENIAN.Net
August 19, 2011 - 17:26 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Russian Express-AM4 communication satellite,
missing after the August 18 launch, could not separate from the booster
and was found off the designated orbit, a source in the Russian space
program said on Friday, August 19.
Experts said the satellite is useless unless separation from the
Briz-M booster rocket is performed, RIA Novosti reported.
"If separation from the booster fails, the spacecraft is done for,
it won't be able to perform the designated tasks," an expert said on
the condition of anonymity.
Another expert said the satellite was designed to operate at a
geostationary orbit at a fixed station-keeping point which it was
unable to reach.
"The booster creates a huge additional burden and the satellite's
propulsion engine, which is not designed for maneuvering with
additional weight, won't be able to take the satellite into the
assigned geostationary orbit and station-keep it in the orbital
position," the expert said.
The satellite's launch and orbital operation has been fully insured
for 7.5 billion rubles ($259 million).
Russia's Proton-M rocket with the Express-AM4 satellite was launched
from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan early on Thursday but
mission control failed to establish communication with it.
PanARMENIAN.Net
August 19, 2011 - 17:26 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Russian Express-AM4 communication satellite,
missing after the August 18 launch, could not separate from the booster
and was found off the designated orbit, a source in the Russian space
program said on Friday, August 19.
Experts said the satellite is useless unless separation from the
Briz-M booster rocket is performed, RIA Novosti reported.
"If separation from the booster fails, the spacecraft is done for,
it won't be able to perform the designated tasks," an expert said on
the condition of anonymity.
Another expert said the satellite was designed to operate at a
geostationary orbit at a fixed station-keeping point which it was
unable to reach.
"The booster creates a huge additional burden and the satellite's
propulsion engine, which is not designed for maneuvering with
additional weight, won't be able to take the satellite into the
assigned geostationary orbit and station-keep it in the orbital
position," the expert said.
The satellite's launch and orbital operation has been fully insured
for 7.5 billion rubles ($259 million).
Russia's Proton-M rocket with the Express-AM4 satellite was launched
from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan early on Thursday but
mission control failed to establish communication with it.