Russia Says U.S. Satellite Lost After Launch

MOSCOW, Nov 21, 2000 -- (Reuters) Russian space officials said there was little hope of recovering a U.S. satellite launched on Tuesday by a Russian booster rocket.

A spokesman for Russia's Rosaviakosmos space and aviation authority said initial data showed that the rocket's second stage had failed and the satellite, owned by Colorado-based EarthWatch Inc, had never reached its orbit.

"It seems to have followed a ballistic trajectory," he said.

The launch was conducted by the Strategic Rocket Forces, in charge of Russia's nuclear arsenal from Russia's northern Plesetsk cosmodrome and was one of a two-satellite deal with Earthwatch.

The spokesman said there had been no contact with the satellite since the blast off and that a special commission would now investigate the exact causes of the accident.

The 950-kilograms Quick Bird satellite carried a high-resolution camera capable of images down to one meter in size and was due to be used to map the earth's surface and explore natural resources.

http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=222685§ion=default

-- Carl Jenkins (somewherepress@aol.com), November 21, 2000