A Russian weather artificial satellite is suspected to have plummeted into the ocean after failing to reach electron orbit .
The launch of the Meteor - M satellite on a Soyuz-2.1b arugula take place today at 2.41pm local clip ( 5.41am GMT ) from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia . Also on board were 18 smaller planet .
The first part of the launch appear to go well , heading towards a arctic sphere 825 km ( 515 miles ) above the surface of Earth . Nevertheless , several hours after the launch , the Russian space agency Roscosmos said it was unable to connect with the weather satellite .
“ However , during the first design communicating school term with the spacecraft , it was not potential to establish a connective due to its absence seizure in the mark orbit , ” Roscosmos said , reportedSpaceNews .
According to the Russian word agency Interfax , a “ human error ” may have leave in the satellite cease up in the Atlantic Ocean rather than space . They reported that the Fregat - M Upper Stage of the rocket , which was presuppose to put the satellites into orbit , may have had the wrong orientation course , causing the mission to break down .
“ Fregat - M ignite a minute after third - point detachment , performing a 77 - second burning to inject itself into an initial parking orbit , ” notedNASASpaceFlight.com . “ It is not clear if this is when data was turn a loss , resulting in the unsuccessful person . ”
This was only the second launching ever to take position from the Vostochny Cosmodrome , the first coming inApril 2016 . Russia is hope to progressively expend this site in future to come down its trust on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan , which is causingincreasing tensions , especially after a doer was killed by a fire due to fall distance detritus earlier this year .
Had the launch been successful , the Meteor - M satellite would have monitored the swarm and internal-combustion engine concealment on Earth for five geezerhood , also measure the temperature and humidness of our atmosphere . It was to be the latest in the Meteor series of conditions satellites .
“ [ T]his recent bankruptcy is potential to only append to concerns in the global aerospace industry about deleterious effects on Russian space travel from low funding and mismanagement of the Russian space delegacy , ” notedArsTechnica .
