[gatagato]

No casualties reported but troubled space programme loses three satellites worth millions.

An unmanned Russian rocket carrying three navigation satellites has crashed shortly after lift-off from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch base in Kazakhstan, Russian media reported. There were no reported injuries.

State-run Rossiya-24 television showed footage of the Proton-M booster rocket veering off course seconds after lift-off. It fell apart in flames in the air and crashed in a big ball of fire near the launch pad.

Personnel who were in bunkers at the site when the rocket lifted off survived, the Interfax news agency reported, citing an unnamed source.

Interfax said Kazakh emergency authorities were considering evacuating nearby towns in the sparsely populated area because of the potential health threat from toxic rocket fuel burning at the crash site.

The estimated loss from the three satellites, meant for Russia's troubled Glonass satellite navigation system, was about $200m (£130m), Rossiya-24 reported.

The state-run RIA news agency said the cause might have been a problem with the engine or the guidance system.

Russia is increasing space spending and plans to send a probe to the moon in 2015, but the pioneering programme that put the first man in space in 1961 has been plagued in recent years by setbacks, including botched satellite launches and a failed attempt to send a probe to a moon of Mars.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...rashes-takeoff

Failure of first stage engines caused fire at Baikonur - Emergency Ministry

Kazakh emergency situations minister Vladimir Bozhko said that the Proton-M carrier rocket's accident at Baikonur occurred due to the failure of the first stage engine.

"According to preliminary data, the accident occurred due to the failure of the first stage engine of the carrier rocket," Bozhko said at a government meeting in Astana, RIA Novosti reported.
http://www.azernews.az/region/56171.html

[kellyhound]

costly whoops moment.
dunno why they put the warning shocking at the beginning as no one was hurt.

[DannyDrama]

Made by Russians, launched in Kazakhstan. What could go wrong.