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Russia Launches First Proton Rocket Since May Accident


Russia has successfully launched a rocket carrier with a British satellite in the first such launch since an engine failure in May resulted in a commercialsatellite being destroyed.

Russia's Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, said a Proton-M rocket carrying an Inmarsat-5 F3 communications satellite launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on August 28 as planned.

A similar rocket carrying a Mexican communications satellite fell back to earth and disintegrated in the atmosphere on May 16 after suffering an engine malfunction.

Last year, Russia dismissed the head of the state-run spacecraft manufacturer, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, over previous failures.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS

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