Russia OK's Soyuz and Proton Rockets for Return to Flight

Russia is quickly recovering from the double rocket failures experienced in August.

Itar-Tass reports today that the Proton rocket will return to service on September 22. Its payload is identified only as a “defence satellite.” On August 18, a Proton rocket with a Briz upper stage malfunctioned stranding the Express-AM4 communications satellite in the wrong orbit. An investigating commission determined that it was caused by human error in programming the upper stage.

A few days later, on August 24, the third stage of a Soyuz U rocket failed dooming the Progress M-12M cargo spacecraft it was carrying. The spacecraft was taking cargo to the International Space Station. A different, but similar, version of the Soyuz rocket is now scheduled to launch a navigation satellite on October 1. That launch originally had been scheduled for late August, but was postponed pending the review of the August 24 failure.

The Russians determined that a clogged fuel line was responsible for the Progress M-12M failure and that it was “accidental.” The next launch to ISS is now scheduled for October 30. It will be another Progress spacecraft. The first flight of a Soyuz (yet another variant) with a crew is scheduled for November 12.