Meteor M2-1 – Spaceflight Now

Russian official blames Nov. 28 launch failure on botched software programming

December 30, 2017 Stephen Clark

A senior Russian politician whose portfolio includes the country’s space program has blamed human error for a Nov. 28 launch failure that led to the destruction of a $45 million weather satellite and 18 secondary payloads, according to multiple news reports.

Guidance error reportedly led to Russian launch failure

November 30, 2017 Stephen Clark

Russian officials could complete their investigation of a rocket failure Tuesday by mid-December, and multiple Russian news reports suggest the probe has narrowed to focus on the guidance computer on the Soyuz launcher’s Fregat upper stage.

Russian weather satellite and 18 secondary payloads lost after rocket failure

November 28, 2017 Stephen Clark

A new Russian weather observatory and the first prototype for Telesat’s planned network of 100-plus broadband communications satellites in low Earth orbit were among 19 spacecraft feared lost after a Fregat rocket stage ran into trouble soon after liftoff aboard a Soyuz booster Tuesday.

Soyuz rocket set for launch from Russia’s new cosmodrome

November 27, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Soyuz rocket is scheduled to lift off Tuesday from a launch pad in Russia’s Far East with a new Russian weather satellite and 18 secondary payloads from companies and institutions in the United States, Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Germany.