MOSCOW - A Proton-M launch vehicle launched from the Baikonur space center early on May 16 has failed to place a Mexican satellite into orbit due to the third stage engine's malfunction, a space rocket industry source told Interfax-AVN.
“The third stage engine’s emergency cutoff occurred on the 498th second of the flight,” the source said.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the third stage coupled with a
Mexican satellite may have crashed in the Chita region. The necessary
alert message has been sent through the Emergency Situations Ministry
channels,” he said.
The Russian Federal Space Agency
Roscosmos has issued official comments on two incidents involving
Russian space systems on May 16.
“An off-nominal situation occurred today, on May 16, in the process
of the launch of a Proton-M launch vehicle carrying the MexSat-1
satellite. Its causes are being looked into,” Roscosmos said in a
statement posted on its website.
Roscosmos also confirmed that the International Space Station’s planned orbit adjustment was not accomplished.
