D'oh

Russian rocket fails to deliver Saudi satellite into orbit
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, March 3, 2006

MOSCOW — A Saudi-sponsored communications satellite has failed to enter space orbit.
A Russian carrier rocket has failed to place into orbit the ArabSat-4A, a telecommunications satellite produced by EADS. Russian officials attributed the failure on a mishap of the Proton-M launch vehicle.

The Proton was launched from the Baikonour space center in Kazakhstan on Tuesday at 2010 GMT, Middle East Newsline reported. Proton entered the atmosphere and the 3.3 ton ArabSat separated from the launch vehicle.

Officials said the system designed to place ArabSat into a geostationary orbit of 35,700 kilometers misfired. The system was identified as the Breeze-M accelerator, which became detached from the satellite before its planned final orbiting position.