Russia loses contact with meteor satellite launched just hours earlier

Only the second launch from the Vostochny spaceport, Russia has reportedly lost contact with the Meteor M2-1 weather satellite 

The Souyz-2 spacecraft with Meteor-M satellite and 18 additional small satellites launched from Russia's Vostochny cosmodrome, near the town of Tsiolkovsky in Amur region, Russia 28 November, 2017 (Photo: Reuters)
The Souyz-2 spacecraft with Meteor-M satellite and 18 additional small satellites launched from Russia's Vostochny cosmodrome, near the town of Tsiolkovsky in Amur region, Russia 28 November, 2017 (Photo: Reuters)

Russia has reportedly lost contact with a crucial satellite, just hours after it was launched into space, according to reports.

The rocket, carrying the satellite, was the second launch from the Vostochny spaceport, a project that was hailed as a major part of Russia’s plans for space exploration.

The satellite was also an important segment of the Russian space agency’s plans.

The Meteor M2-1 weather satellite was launched with the hope of a five-year long mission to monitor weather and the climate, on behalf of the country’s meteorological agency.

The Meteor was meant to detach from the rocket carrying it Tuesday morning, soon after it launched, but it failed to do so, according to Russian news service Interface.

Rocosmos said that the satellite had not reached its designated orbit and that it could not make contact with it, according to experts that were analysing the situation.

The new Vostochny spaceport is part of a move by Russia, to move launches away from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome and into the country’s far east. However, it has been marred by delays and issues, and has only managed two launches thus far.