The Russian Proton Breeze-M rocket will return to flight next month following an investigation into a Federal launch failure that resulted in the loss of two birds.
Intelsat’s IS-23 satellite is now scheduled to launch on 14 October, after all Protons…
The Russian Proton Breeze-M rocket will return to flight next month following an investigation into a Federal launch failure that resulted in the loss of two birds.
Intelsat’s IS-23 satellite is now scheduled to launch on 14 October, after all Protons were downed while the Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) investigated the 7 August mission failure. IS-23 had previously been slated for a launch in late August.
FROB found that the failure was caused by a component of the rocket’s pressurisation system that was not manufactured to specifications, according to Russia’s International Launch Services (ILS), Proton’s commercial launch provider. This resulted in the Breeze M’s main engine shutting down seven seconds into a third burn that was supposed to last 18 minutes and five seconds. The failure resulted in the loss of Russian satellite operator RSCC‘s Express-MD2 satellite, and the Telkom-3 bird owned by Indonesia’s Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom).
FROB also approved a corrective action plan for all Breeze M upper stages, which was put forward by Proton manufacturer Khrunichev. This action plan includes measures designed to improve quality oversight, testing and support equipment.
ILS CTO John Palmé said: “This is an opportunity to learn, enhance and improve the overall reliability and processes of our systems.”
As with last year’s Proton Breeze-M launch failure, which was another Federal mission that resulted in the complete loss of a satellite, many industry spectators were quick to flag the possibility of a rocket bottleneck. But FROB’s speedy investigation means ILS is hopeful of minimising disruption to future launches. Even still, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has already slammed the failures publically, declaring that they were not only costing his country money, but also its prestige.
For some operators, the latest launch failure to hit the Russian space industry is also encouraging them to diversify their launch contracts. In the same week as FROB’s Proton failure report, longstanding ILS customer SES announced plans to launch three additional satellites with SpaceX, the nascent commercial launch provider based in the US.
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Telkom on the look out for new launch provider
Following the failed launch of Telkom-3, Telkom is seeking to partner with a different launch provider to loft a replacement spacecraft, according to local reports citing Indra Utoyo, director of IT solutions and strategic portfolio.
A spokesperson for Telkom told SatelliteFinance that the company was still in discussions to determine whether the bird can be recovered. Otherwise, Telkom will ponder whether “to launch the same satellite or a better one. There is no decision yet at this moment,” the spokesperson added.
The failed Telkom-3 launch mission represented the first time the Indonesian operator had partnered with a Russian launcher. Before that, Telkom had used the services of France’s Arianespace.
SatelliteFinance has previously reported that both RSCC and Telkom were on the verge of making total loss claims for their respective spacecraft. The companies are thought to have filed a notice of occurrence.
SatelliteFinance understands that the overall sum insured for both spacecraft was around US$220m, of which around US$180m covers Telkom-3. The satellite itself cost roughly US$200m. Marsh placed the insurance for Telkom-3.
As and when the total loss claims are made, it is thought unlikely that they will have a significant impact on the current low level of launch-plus-one rates. One insurer argued that with the market still on track to make a profit, and the modest coverage of both Express-MD2 and Telkom-3 being spread widely around the underwriters, the downward pressure on rates will remain.
