In 2013, Russia lost three GLONASS satellites when their launch aboard a Proton-M rocket went awry, sending the satellites crashing into the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan instead of aloft into space. Before that, in 2010, three other GLONASS satellites ended up in the Pacific Ocean aboard a Proton-M rocket.
This week, on May 15, another Proton-M satellite crashed, this time with the Ekspress-AM4R telecommunications satellite aboard.
Launch of the Proton-M rocket took place from Launch Pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 21:42 GMT. However, an unspecified failure was noted during third stage flight. The rocket and satellite are lost, according to a NASA Spaceflight article.
Ria Novosti reports that Russia will launch two GLONASS navigation satellites later this year to make up for the loss of three satellites in the recent Proton rocket explosion after launch from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, according to a senior space industry official.
“We are planning to launch two satellites from the Plesetsk space center [in northern Russia] to replenish the GLONASS orbital grouping following the recent Proton-M accident,” said Nikolai Testoyedov, the head of the Information Satellite Systems (ISS) company, which manufactures satellites for the GLONASS project.
The first GLONASS is scheduled for launch in the beginning of September, and the second at the end of October, according to Testoyedov. The official added that both satellites will be launched on board the Soyuz carrier rockets, which has proven to be more reliable than ill-fated Protons.
A group of 29 GLONASS satellites is currently in orbit, with 24 spacecraft in operation, three spares, one in maintenance, and one in test flight phase, according to Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos.
Quoting industry sources, the Russian Federal Space Agency announced that the December 5 launch of three GLONASS-M satellites ended in failure when the Proton-M rocket’s Block DM upper stage and its three payloads crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 1,500 kilometers, or 932 miles, northwest of Honolulu. Although an investigation will look into the exact cause of the failure, early unconfirmed reports indicate a software error.
Apparently, the Proton carrier’s third stage deviated from its planned trajectory.
The three satellites were launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. According to telemetry, the carrier rocket’s upper stage containing the satellites was launched into a “non-targeted orbit.” According to a BBC news report, the upper stage and GLONASS-M navigation satellite payload crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. BBC news also reported that sources informed them that the launch rocket had deviated by eight degrees from its intended path after launch.
The Russian Federal Space Agency reported that a “special board has been established to find out the cause of the contingency and to define the next steps.”
According to the Russian News Agency RIA Novosti, incorrect calculations were loaded into the rocket’s onboard computer missiles. As a result, the rocket engine provided too much momentum, leading to the deviation of the vehicle from its planned trajectory.
RIA Novosti also reported that because of the accident, the pace of satellite launches will have to be accelerated. For example, the launch scheduled for September 2011 is likely to take place earlier.
The new generation GLONASS-K satellite is due to launch later this month from the northern Plesetsk cosmodrome.
Video of the pre-launch rocket delivery can be viewed here:
There are currently 20 operational GLONASS satellites, with another four undergoing maintenance and two reserved as spares.