Proton-M Booster With Satellites On Board Veered Off Course, Exploded

The Russian space program has suffered another setback with the loss of a Proton-M booster carrying satellites into orbit.

Footage from Russian television shows the booster leaving the launch pad, but veering off course within seconds of clearing the towers. It veered out of control, started breaking up, caught fire, and impacted the ground near the launch facility Russia leases in Kazakhstan, according to the U.K. news site Metro.com.

The launch occurred at 0838 local time Tuesday morning. A source in Kazakhstan told the Interfax news agency that the booster had been fueled with  about 187 tons of heptyl. The toxic propellant was reportedly burning at the scene. The fire caused authorities to consider evacuating nearby towns.

The rocket's payload included three satellites that would have joined the Glonass satellite navigation system constellation, according to the Russian news channel Rossiya-24. The RIA Novosti news service said the problem could have been caused by an engine or a guidance malfunction.

The Proton rocket was designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s as an ICBM capable of delivering nuclear weapons to the U.S.

(Image captured from YouTube video.)

FMI: YouTube Video