Engine Failure Behind Meridian Satellite Crash

The crash of Russia’s Meridian communication satellite late last year was caused by the destruction of one of the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket’s engines, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, Vladimir Popovkin, said on Tuesday. “An inter-agency commission has concluded that the reason was an early opening of the combustion section of the rocket’s third stage,” Popovkin said during a meeting dedicated to Russia’s space industry development. More

(Source: RIA Novosti - Feb 2)