Russian mission control has "encountered problems" with a communications satellite launched Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, according to a representative of RKK Energia, the company that built the satellite.
The Yamal communications satellite was one of two launched Monday using a Proton rocket. During the launch, all eyes had been on the rocket because it was the first Proton rocket launched from Baikonur since a similar rocket exploded after liftoff in July, prompting Kazakhstan to ban all Proton launches from Baikonur until late August.
The Proton rocket performed flawlessly, according to initial data. The upper stage fired twice as planned, delivering both satellites into the correct orbit.
But according to a representative from RKK Energia, mission control in Korolev, Russia encountered the problems with Yamal-101 satellite soon after launch. The representative would not elaborate on the source of the problem, however, although he did say that a ground control team hopes to solve the problem.
The satellites are expected to take up to six months to drift to their respective positions in geostationary orbit. Both spacecraft have plasma engines for orbit correction powered by xenon gas. The satellites are designed to provide communications for the Eastern, oil-rich regions of Russia.
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