Contact Lost With Satellite Launched From Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome

By The Moscow Times

May 4, 2016

Russia has lost contact with one of three satellites launched from the new Vostochny Cosmodrome last week, state-run news agency TASS reported Wednesday.

“We have been unable to establish a connection with the spacecraft since its launch. The connection most likely did not switch on after launching into orbit,” a space-industry source told TASS.

Experts will decide later today whether to continue attempts to establish a connection or to recognize the satellite as lost, TASS reported.

The SamSat-218 satellite was launched with a Soyuz-2.1a rocket on April 28. It was the first launch to take place at Russia's new Vostochny Cosmodrome, where technical problems postponed the launch for 24 hours.

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