Russian Satellite Crashes To Earth - Soyuz 2 Rocket Failure - Plesetsk Cosmodrome

According to Interfax, the loss of the Meridian communications satellite (which may or may not have been insured) could total two billion rubles, or approximately $65 million.

The crash left Kremlin officials understandably red-faced, as the latest incident marked the fifth failed space mission for Russia in 2011.

Indeed, Russia recently lost contact with the $170 million Phobos-Grunt mission, which was originally slated to land on Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons.

Although the European Space Agency (ESA) eventually re-established contact with the spacecraft stuck in low Earth orbit, pieces of the ship subsequently broke off and re-entered the atmosphere.

"This area of the space industry is in sort of a crisis," Russian space agency chief Vladimir Popovin acknowledged during a press conference on Friday.

"We can say even now that the problem lies in the engine... But more analysis is needed [for us] to be certain."

Meanwhile, media reports indicate that a 5kg titanium ball from the Meridian satellite crashed into the Siberian house of Andrei Krivorukov. Fortunately, Krivorukov had left his home to collect some wood for his stove just seconds before the wayward ball impacted.

[fjord]

The voice sounds exactly like a British guy who's gotten brain damage.

[TakeTheGreenPill]

Is there another one comming down soon?

[cr]

All of which were far more ambitious than tossing satellites into space.

[cr]

I have never said that Russians were not ambitious enough.
What I said was satellite launches are far less ambitious than space shuttle flights, and thus should expect greater reliability.

[rebecablacksucks]

Both Challenger and Colombia are US. I have not found one that is Russian that exploded.

[sweed]

do ya think they would admit to anyone being home at the house that was hit by the rocket that failed to launch - DAAH

[conflict]

Russia has shared it's human fatalitys too. like Soyuz 1 and Soyuz 11.

[LuminCC]

No, your just from the UK, what kind of a Russian watched DR. Who

[conflict]

First off, why are you commenting on a comment that I made 5 months ago? second, may I please see your evidence?

[rebecablacksucks]

Oh didnt know about those ones. Well I guess their even xD

[conflict]

This is why we should not let our astronauts go into space in rockets made by the Russians courupt space agency

[rebecablacksucks]

Regardless, they both were not successful. Also me telling you that had nothing to do with corrupt agencies I was just trying to tell you that Russian rockets had a better success rate. Sorry if it came off dickish at first thats all I was trying to say.