Gazprom Satellite Reaches Orbit After Correction

Dec. 11, 2012

A Gazprom-owned communications satellite reached orbit early Tuesday after space officials successfully corrected its course.

The Federal Space Agency told Interfax that the satellite was supervised by Thales Alenia Space, the European company that manufactured the satellite for state energy giant Gazprom, as it was maneuvered into position.

The Yamal-402 satellite, which was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Saturday, initially failed to reach its designated orbit after its Russian-made Briz-M booster block failed, news reports said.

A later attempt to correct its course also ended in failure.

Gazprom's space subsidiary, Gazprom Space Systems, ordered the satellite to offer broadcasting to customers in Russia, western and central Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

(MT)

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