“Stupidity, tuporukost a series of acts of sabotage” – BBC

The accident ended the morning launch of the carrier rocket “Proton-M” with the Mexican communication satellite. This is the second month of the start bad Russian carrier rocket from Baikonur, which could undermine the confidence of foreign partners to the Russian launch vehicles. In connection with the accident flight “Proton” suspended.

After a year after the failed launch rocket “Proton” again let down. At this time, to the orbit has not reached the Mexican communications satellite. The launch took place at 8.47 MSK №39 from launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch of the satellite was carried Mexican owned Khrunichev Khrunichev company International Launch Services, which has exclusive rights to the marketing and commercial use of heavy rocket “Proton”.

having a weight of 5.3 tonne satellite was manufactured by Boeing Corporation and had to work in Earth orbit for 15 years. Its task was to ensure the Mexican satellite communications customers, including for purposes of national security, civilian users, emergency services and education.

According to the translation start and the comments in the first minutes of the first and second stages of the launch vehicle took place normally.

Problems arose during the third stage.

According to the plan the upper stage “Breeze-M” was to bring the payload into a circular low Earth first, followed by the transition, and finally a high geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 36 thousand. km. Office satellite was supposed to happen after 9 hours and 13 minutes after launch.
However, shortly after the start of the broadcast data, it became clear that ground services stopped receiving telemetry, then Roscosmos announced “emergency situation.”

Soon sources reported the fall of the third stage of the rocket with Mexican satellite in the Chita region. There is a possibility of contamination of the atmosphere and the soil, which could occur due to the falling level.

The fact is that all three levels of media use toxic propellants dimethylhydrazine (heptyl), it is not filled who had to work the upper stage “Breeze-M”.

According to unconfirmed reports, the cause of the accident could be the failure of the third stage steering engine.

Immediately after the failed launch was announced that the launches of carrier rockets “Proton-M” will be temporarily suspended until the reasons for abnormality at the start of the Mexican satellite. Postponed launch of the rocket with the British communications satellite “Inmarsat-3-5F”, scheduled for early June.

Run the Mexican satellite was the second fortnight missile launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome and a second failure. Launched on April 28 to the ISS cargo ship “Progress” shortly after launch has ceased to transmit telemetry received rotation and a few days later was lost , burned over the Pacific Ocean. This complicated the supply of necessary goods and the ISS food, the astronauts return to Earth decided to postpone for a month.

According to the editor of the magazine “News of Cosmonautics” Igor Lisov, the current accident “Proton “negatively affect the credibility of the Russian rocket” Proton “by foreign customers. “Where will this lead? Customers perebegut by ILS, the insurance amount will increase, “- he said. The expert did not rule out that the second month of the start bad some of the most reliable rockets in the world (with 1960′s “Proton” was launched more than 400 times) could be the result of sabotage.

«This is nonsense, tuporukost a series of acts of sabotage. This can not be excluded in time of war, “- said Lisov, without specifying, however, who is and who is at war.

A similar accident carrier rocket” Proton “took place exactly a year ago, 16 maya.Togda rocket was supposed to launch the most powerful telecommunications satellite Russian “Express AM4R.” Because of the emergency situation at the stage of the third stage of the rocket in flight denied steering motor and the satellite burned up in the atmosphere over the territory of China.