Russian Rocket Carries U.S. Satellite
August 5, 2006
MOSCOW – A Russian rocket carrying U.S. telecommunications equipment blasted off early Saturday, 10 days after another rocket carrying 18 satellites crashed after launch, Russian news agencies reported.
The Proton-M rocket carrying the satellite HotBird-8 was launched from Russia’s main space facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the reports said.
The failed July 26 launch also took place from Baikonur, but used a Dnepr rocket. Kazakhstan, concerned that the crashed rocket’s fuel was causing pollution, banned further launches of Dneprs until the cause of the July crash is determined.
Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, could not immediately be reached for comment on the Saturday launch.