BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/07/2006

Officials Searching For Pieces Of Russian Rocket

July 27, 2006 - Kazakh and Russian specialists are trying to locate fragments of the rocket that crashed overnight, 73 seconds after taking off from the Baikonur launchpad in Kazakhstan.

Among others, the RS-20 (Dnepr) rocket was carrying what should have been Belarus' first-ever satellite.

The Russian-built Belka satellite was meant to collect meteorological, geodesic, and cartographic data.

Belarusian President Alyaksandar Lukashenka, who was in Baikonur for the launch, made no comment after the crash. The cause of the accident remains unknown.

Belarusian experts say that should a political decision be made they would be able to build another satellite quickly.

Kazakh authorities fear the crash may have negative consequences on the environment.

(Kazinform, Interfax-Kazakhstan)

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/07/A8AEF121-E439-48C9-9293-5CEA9A774AAA.html

Google