RUSSIA'S FIRST commercial flight of a converted military missile ended in disaster on 28 March, when three satellites were lost after launch from Plesetsk. The failure is a major blow to the Russian Komplex Company's attempt to grab a share of the low-Earth-orbit launch market.
A five-stage solid-propellant Start launcher, based on SS-25 missile technology, carrying Israel's 45kg, $3.5 million Gurwin 1 research satellite and other payloads from Russia and Mexico, exploded over the Sea of Okhotsk, 10min after launch when the fifth stage failed.
A four-stage Start 1 had a successful orbital-demonstration flight in March 1992, but the 28 March launch was the first flight of the five-stage version.
The Gurwin 1, developed with the help of a $1 million contribution from US philanthropist Joseph Gurwin, was designed to provide communications for Israeli companies and to demonstrate spacecraft technologies.
Israel, which paid $250,000 for the launch, had previously launched two 160kg satellites, the Offeqs 1 and 2 on the locally built Shavit booster. The launch of a second-generation Offeq on the Shavit is reported to be imminent.
Source: Flight International