Kazakhs Ban Space Launches at Facility
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ALMATY, Kazakhstan — The Kazakh government on Thursday banned all launches from its Baikonur cosmodrome after a Russian rocket crashed during takeoff--the second such incident this year.
The decision was a blow to Moscow’s struggling space program, which relies heavily on Baikonur. Russia is the only country that uses the facility.
The Proton-K booster rocket carrying a Russian communications satellite veered out of control Wednesday less than four minutes after blastoff. The crash happened after the booster’s second-stage engine failed, according to reports.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry formally protested to the Russian government about the failed launch.
The crash was similar to a botched launch July 5, when a Proton exploded just after takeoff. Kazakhstan then banned Russian launches but lifted the ban two months later.
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