| Proton M/Briz M | |
|---|---|
| Launch vehicle | Proton M/Briz M |
| Launch site | Baikonur, Kazakhstan |
| Date/Time | 2006-02-28 20:10 UTC |
| Description | Upper stage failure |
| Cause | Insufficient quality control (foreign object) |
| Payload | Arabsat 4A |
| Desired orbit | 3,150 km x 35,786 km x 14.2 degrees geostationary transfer orbit |
|
"Preliminary flight information indicates that the Breeze M [Briz M] upper stage shut down early during its planned burn sequence. As a contingency, the satellite was separated," according to launch service provider ILS. The satellite ended up in a far too low orbit and was de-orbited on 24 March 2005 UTC over the Pacific Ocean. The Russian State Commission that investigated the failure concluded that an anomaly in the oxidiser supply system caused the Briz M upper stage main engine to shut down prematurely. Based on telemetry data, the most probable cause of the oxidiser supply interruption was a foreign particle that blocked a nozzle of the booster hydraulic pump, the commission stated. See also:Last updated: |
|