Russia's space setback: Proton-M rocket launch scrapped, cause revealed
Illustrative photo: Baikonur (Getty Images)
Russia's Proton-M rocket launch from Baikonur, scheduled for December 15, failed to take place. This marks yet another blow to the country's space industry, which is currently facing a severe crisis, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation.
The official reason for canceling the launch was a "local discrepancy" in the rocket's booster unit. Russian authorities traditionally attribute such incidents to technical malfunctions, which are common in new or experimental projects.
However, in this case, the rocket in question is the Proton-M — a vehicle that has been in operation since the Soviet era and long considered a cornerstone of Russia's space program.
"That's why this incident is particularly telling and fits logically into the broader picture of Russia's 'space' problems," the Center noted.
According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, a recent accident at Baikonur during the launch of a Soyuz spacecraft, which damaged the launch pad, has already shown that even the key infrastructure at Baikonur Cosmodrome is vulnerable.
Despite Russian propaganda attempts to dismiss these issues as "isolated flaws," the Center believes that this chain of failures indicates a broader degradation of the entire space sector.
"As the war continues, consuming all resources, and with ongoing sanctions, Russia is losing its ability to maintain its status as a 'major space power,'" the statement reads.
For context, on November 27, during the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft to the ISS, the service module capsule fell, causing all manned launches to be halted. This was the largest failure in Russia's space program since the beginning of orbital exploration.
