Russian authorities are looking into recent failures in the country’s space industry, the Kremlin said.
In the most embarrassing incident in recent months, a satellite launched from Russia’s new launch pad – the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Far East – was lost due to a programming error.
Deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin said that the Meteor-M weather satellite, which was launched on November 28, was lost because it was programmed with the bearings for take-off from Baikonur, Russia’s main launch pad that it leases in Kazakhstan.
The loss of the satellite and the corruption scandals around the construction of Vostochny have put pressure on Mr Rogozin, who oversees the space industry.
Asked about a possible overhaul of Russia’s space industry, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said officials are looking into the situation.
