BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/07/2006

Rocket with Belarusian satellite "BelKA" on board crashes after launch

Kazakhstan today

Rocket with Belarusian satellite ASTANA. A carrier rocket "Dnepr" delivering 18 satellites, including the first Belarusian satellite "BelKA," to the space orbit, crashed at a distance of 189.6 km from the launching site after the lift-off, the Ministry of Emergencies of RK told Kazakhstan Today.

"The launch of the RS-20 rocket with a group of satellites on board by the carrier rocket "Dnepr" took place July 27 at 1.43 AM from "Baikonur" cosmodrome. The rocket crashed in the 73 second of the flight 189,6 at a distance of 189.6 km from the launching site, 6 km North-East of Tagai winter pasture," - the Ministry of Emergencies said.

There has not been any information about casualties or demolitions.

The Ministry of Emergencies of RK has sent a group of 35 persons with 6 units of equipment to the rocket crash area.

According to "Roskosmos," the rocket carrier crashed because the engine of the rocket's first stage did not complete 10 second of due operation and consequently the engine of the second stage did not switch on. "Telemetric information is being studied. Reasons of the accident are being established," - Yuirii Nosenko, deputy head of the Federal Space Agency, told journalists after the lift-off.

Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, was present at Baiknour during the lift-off. "The Belarusian leader has departed for Minsk," - the Federal Space Centre said.

Source:

http://eng.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=78390

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