Launch rocket "Proton-M" with American communications satellite on board postponed for a day - ITAR-TASS

NEW YORK, Oct. 20. / Correspondent. ITAR-TASS Ivan Pil’shchikov /. Start of Russian carrier rocket “Proton-M” with a commercial U.S. spacecraft “Sirius FM-6″ / Sirius FM-6 / on board from the Baikonur Cosmodrome postponed for a day. This was reported today the American company “International Launch Services” / ILS, International Launch Services /, in which the majority share owned by the Russian State Research and Production Space Center / Khrunichev / Khrunichev.

As noted in the HUD, the cause of the changes are plans to malfunction of one of the American ground stations receiving the information, which, in particular, need to start a communications satellite “Sirius FM-6.” Now start “Proton-M” is scheduled for Monday, October 21 at 22:12 MSK. Previously it was assumed that the launch will take place today.

In a statement

HUD emphasizes that the booster and the “Sirius FM-6″ are in good condition. No problems on the pad is not fixed. “Sirius FM-6″ is owned by an American company “Sirius ex-em redio” / Sirius XM Radio /. It was produced by “Space Systems Loral” / Space Systems Loral /.

In Roskosmos, in turn, confirmed that “at the Baikonur Cosmodrome state commission at the request of a foreign customer has decided to postpone the launch rocket” Proton-M “with the upper stage” Breeze-M “and the spacecraft” Sirius FM-6 “day”.

rocket “Proton-M” on July 2 this year, has had an accident during the launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. With it into space was planned to send three satellites “Glonass-M”. All of them were lost during the abnormal running.

ILS is based in suburban Washington – Reston / Virginia / and promotes the international market services rocket “Proton” and the upper stage “Breeze-M” which are designed Khrunichev. The joint venture was established in 1995 by “Lockheed Martin” / Lockheed Martin /, Khrunichev and Rocket and Space Corporation “Energia” named after the Queen. In 2006, “Lockheed Martin” came out of the partnership by selling a majority stake to one of German businessmen. In May 2008, Khrunichev bought the stake. Since 1996, HUD has implemented more than 80 launches of “Proton”.