Russian rocket carrying U.S. satellite plunges into Pacific Ocean 40 seconds after launch

Zenit-3SL got into trouble after it was sent towards space from the Sea Launch platform on the equator



The launch of a Russian rocket carrying an American communications satellite ended in disaster today after it plunged into the sea 40 seconds after blast-off.

Grainy footage of the launch being streamed online was cut shortly after 6.56am GMT when the space-bound vessel got into trouble.

The Swiss-based Sea Launch company sent up their Zenit-3SL rocket from the Odyssey Launch Platform in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

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Disaster: The Russian rocket Zenit-3SL was launched from the Sea Launch pad in the Pacific today but crashed 40 seconds later (file pic)

However, the vessel – along with its Intelsat 27 telecommunications satellite inside - suffered a failure during the first stage of its flight.

It is claimed the rocket’s engines shut off stopped automatically because its trajectory was wrong.

Odyssey sits on the equator and is a launch pad made from a converted oil rig.



A team control its flight from a boat six kilometres away. A team is now searching for the downed rocket..



The first section of the rocket was scheduled to separate after 2 minutes 30 seconds, and it is understood there was an error in that period.

Sea Launch said in a statement: 'Approximately 40 seconds after liftoff of the launch of the Intelsat 27 spacecraft, all telemetry was lost indicating a loss of mission'.

Hitch: A team is now searching for the Zenit-3SL - which looks similar to the Zenit 3F, shown blasting off from the Russian leased Kazakhstan Baikonur cosmodrome in 2011

Company president Kjell Karlsen added: ' We are very disappointed with the outcome of the launch and offer our sincere regrets to our customer, Intelsat, and their spacecraft provider, BSSI.



'We will do everything reasonably possible to recover from this unexpected and unfortunate event.'



It is another knock to the reputation of Russia’s space industry as two years ago a communications satellite fell to the ground soon after it was launched.



The Meridian satellite, which was for military and civilian use, did not reach its orbit and fell to the ground near the city of Tobolsk in Siberia, about 1,400 miles from Moscow.



Sources blamed the accident on the carrier rocket's failure, and it appears the same may have happened again.