ABOUT $200 million of satellite technology was destroyed in seconds this morning after a Russian Proton-M rocket crashed shortly after blasting-off in Kazakhstan.
The rocket was unmanned and no-one on the ground was reported injured after the rocket began twisting, then flying horizontally before breaking up and exploding in a fireball as it struck the ground. The three navigation satellites onboard were valued at about $200 million, The Guardian reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Guardian points out that Russia is ramping up its spending on space projects, but its efforts have been "plagued" in recent years by a series of setbacks. They include botched satellite launches and a failed attempt to send a probe to a moon of Mars.
-
What is Roomba’s legacy after bankruptcy?In the Spotlight Tariffs and cheaper rivals have displaced the innovative robot company
-
SiriusXM hopes a new Howard Stern deal can turn its fortunes aroundThe Explainer The company has been steadily losing subscribers
-
Unemployment rate ticks up amid fall job lossesSpeed Read Data released by the Commerce Department indicates ‘one of the weakest American labor markets in years’
