(Associated Press via NewsEdge) A Russian rocket that was to put 18 satellites in orbit failed and crashed to the ground shortly after liftoff early Thursday, the Interfax news agency reported.
The Dnepr rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying a Russian satellite and 17 foreign satellites, including one from Belarus and others from countries including the US and Italy, Russian news agencies reported.
The rocket fell to the ground about 25 kilometers south of the launch facility, Interfax quoted Russian space agency deputy chief Yuri Nosenko as saying. He said there was no damage or injuries on the ground.
Citing an unidentified Mission Control official, Interfax reported that preliminary information indicated that a problem occurred when the rocket's third stage detached. RIA-Novosti and ITAR-Tass, also citing unnamed officials, said the engine shut off 86 seconds into the flight.
Russia's space program has suffered several embarrassing failures over the past year or so, jeopardizing its hopes of earning more revenue from commercial launches of foreign satellites.
The launch of a rocket carrying a European weather satellite was postponed indefinitely last week because of a problem discovered minutes before liftoff.
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