Defense

Russian military abandons defense satellite after failed launch

First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin says the Geo-IK-2 "can't perform its mission"

13:34 24/02/2011

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Rocket carries classified defense satellite into space

The Russian defense ministry said on Thursday it would not use a military satellite that was sent into the wrong orbit earlier this month.

The high-tech Geo-IK-2 was launched from the Plesetsk spaceport to help draw a three-dimensional map of the Earth.

"The satellite is lost for the defense ministry," First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin told reporters on Thursday. "It will not be used for military purposes, but could still be used for checking control systems."

The setback followed the failed launch two months ago of a rocket with three Glonass communications satellites, dealing a major blow to Russia's ambitious space program.

Popovkin said at an arms show in Abu Dhabi on Sunday the satellite "can't perform its mission."

He added that a panel probing the incident hasn't completed its work, but preliminary information indicated the control system was to blame.

MOSCOW, February 24 (RIA Novosti)

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<div style="border:1px solid #d3d3d3; padding:17px 0 0px 17px; background:#ffffff; width:510px;"><div style="width:100%; overflow:hidden;"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20110224/162739533.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><img src="http://en.rian.ru/i/eng/logo_sml.gif" alt="RIA Novosti" title="RIA Novosti" style="float:left; margin-right:10px;" border="0" /></a><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20110224/162739533.html"><img src="http://en.rian.ru/images/16109/37/161093719.jpg" width="120" height="83" border="0" alt="First Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin says the Geo-IK-2 "can't perform its mission"" style="float:right;padding:0px 15px 5px 0px;" /></a><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20110224/162739533.html" style="color:#000000;text-decoration:none;display: block; margin: 0 10px 0 0 ;"><strong style="font:19px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif; line-height:16px; font-weight:bold;">Russian military abandons defense satellite after failed launch</strong></a><p style="font:13px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif; padding:5px 153px 0px 0;"><span style="color:#5590bf;">13:34</span> <span style="color:#5590bf; padding-right:7px;">24/02/2011</span> <span style="font-size:12px;">The Russian defense ministry said on Thursday it would not use a military satellite that was sent into the wrong orbit earlier this month.<a target="_blank" style="color:#335f86; padding-left:10px; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20110224/162739533.html" title="Russian military abandons defense satellite after failed launch">>></a></span></p><div style="padding:6px 0 15px 30px; font:10px Verdana,sans-serif;"><a target="_blank" style="color:#114472; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru" title="RIA Novosti">Other news of the day</a></div></div></div>

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Russian military abandons defense satellite after failed launch

13:34 24/02/2011 The Russian defense ministry said on Thursday it would not use a military satellite that was sent into the wrong orbit earlier this month.>>

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