44209537 Launching of "Proton" with the upper stage "Briz M" temporarily suspended
Federal Space Agency announced the temporary suspension of launch vehicles, "Proton-M" with boosters "Briz-M". This was reported on the agency's website. Starts stopped to find out why an extraordinary situation with the satellite "Express-AM4." Earlier, the military has already unilaterally postponed scheduled for August 31, 2011 launch of military satellites, which also had to take into space "Proton" with the upper stage "Briz-M". Then it was reported that the launches are postponed until the reasons for the failure to clarify the "Express-AM4." Satellite "Express-AM4," intended for broadcast digital TV and broadband Internet services, went into space August 18, 2011. The launch and flight went normally. Problems arose at the final stage of flight, the orbital block (upper stage "Briz-M" with the device docked to it) – just before the fifth and last main engine included with the phone connection was lost. Later it became known that the calculated orbit machine has not got. August 20, 2011 The U.S. system for tracking space objects (NORAD) has found "the Express-AM4." According to the Russian Space Agency, the refined orbital parameters are as follows: perigee – 994 km, apogee – 20,294 km, inclination – 51.3 degrees, orbital period – 368.39 minutes. Currently, the agency specialists are working to establish communication with the satellite. In addition, representatives of the Federal Space Agency, Ministry of Communications of Russia and EADS Astrium company formed a working group to identify opportunities for translation into the target orbit vehicle, with possible further use. In addition, an interdepartmental committee that is investigating the incident.
