Failures Continue to Haunt the Russian Space Program
A Proton takes a nose dive at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. (Credit: Tsenki TV)
The Soviet & Russian space programs have traditionally had a high launch rate, which also resulted in a fair number of partial and complete failures. For the past 30 years, the program has experienced 61 incidents or an average of about two per year. The current string of annual failures stretches back to 2004.
The chart below chronicles the partial and complete failures experienced over the last three decades. (Note: Some of the incidents involve Zenit boosters produced by former Soviet factories in Ukraine. These rockets usually fly with Russian-produced upper stages. Dnepr was also a joint program with Ukraine.)
| SOVIET-RUSSIAN LAUNCH FAILURES, 1988 – 2018 | |||||
| NO. | DATE | LAUNCH VEHICLE |
PAYLOAD(S) |
RESULT | CAUSE |
| 1 | January 18, 1988 | Proton-K Blok-DM-2 | Gorizont 25L | Failure | Third stage failure due to disintegration of propellant feed line |
| 2 | February 17, 1988 | Proton-K Blok-DM-2 | Uragan #23, Uragan #24, Uragan #25 | Partial Failure | Blok D failure caused by ingestion of debris |
| 3 | July 09, 1988 | Soyuz-U | Yantar-4KS1 #10 | Failure | |
| 4 | July 27, 1988 | Soyuz-U | Resurs-F1 | Failure | First stage engine failure. |
| 5 | November 11, 1988 | Soyuz-U | Yantar-4KS1 #11 | Failure | |
| 6 | June 9, 1989 | Tsiklon-3 | Okean-O1 #4 | Failure | |
| 7 | April 3, 1990 | Soyuz-U | Yantar-4K2 #51 | Failure | |
| 8 | June 21, 1990 | Molniya-M (Blok-2BL) | Kosmos 2084 | Partial Failure | Placed in an incorrect orbit. Satellite did not communicate with ground |
| 9 | July 3, 1990 | Soyuz-U | Yantar-4K2 #53 | Failure | |
| 10. | August 9, 1990 | Proton-K Blok-DM-2 | Ekran-M 14L | Failure | Third stage lost thrust due to a cleaning rag inside propellant feed system |
| 11 | October 4, 1990 | Zenit-2 | Tselina-2 #8 | Failure | First stage engine failure five seconds after launch. |
| 12 | June 25, 1991 | Kosmos-3M | Taifun-2 #26 | Failure | Second stage malfunction |
| 13 | August 30, 1991 | Zenit-2 | Tselina-2 #9 | Failure | Second stage explosion |
| 14 | February 5, 1992 | Zenit-2 | Tselina-2 #10 | Failure | Second stage failure |
| 15 | May 27, 1993 | Proton-K Blok-DM-2 | Gorizont 39L | Failure | Third stage failure |
| 16 | May 25, 1994 | Tsiklon-3 | Tselina-D #69 | Failure | Software error prevented third stage separation |
| 17 | March 28, 1995 | Start | Gurwin 1, EKV, OSCAR 29 | Failure | Failed to orbit, crashed into the Sea of Okhotsk |
| 18 | October 6, 1995 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos 2321 (Parus #84) | Partial Failure | Second stage malfunction, placed in useless orbit |
| 19 | February 19, 1996 | Proton-K Blok-DM-2 | Raduga 33 | Partial Failure | Blok-DM-2 upper stage failed to restart to circularize orbit |
| 20 | May 14, 1996 | Soyuz-U | Yantar-1KFT #18 | Failure | Payload fairing disintegrated in flight |
| 21 | June 20, 1996 | Soyuz-U | Yantar-4K2 #76 | Failure | Payload fairing disintegrated in flight |
| 22 | November 16, 1996 | Proton-K Blok-D-2 | Mars ’96 | Partial Failure | Probe re-entered atmosphere after fourth stage failure |
| 23 | May 20, 1997 | Zenit-2 | Tselina-2 #19 | Failure | First stage failure |
| 24 | December 24, 1997 | Proton-K Blok-DM3 | AsiaSat 3 | Partial Failure | Fourth stage malfunction prevented satellite from reaching geosynchronous orbit; salvaged with lunar flyby |
| 25 | June 15, 1998 | Tsiklon-3 | Strela-3 #119, Strela-3 #120, Strela-3 #121, Strela-3 #122, Strela-3 #123, Strela-3 #124 | Partial Failure | Third stage malfunction left satellites in unintended elliptical orbit |
| 26 | September 09, 1998 | Zenit-2 | Globalstar 5, Globalstar 7, Globalstar 9, Globalstar 10, Globalstar 11, Globalstar 12, Globalstar 13, Globalstar 16, Globalstar 17, Globalstar 18, Globalstar 20, Globalstar 21 | Failure | Second stage shut down after guidance system failed |
| 27 | July 05, 1999 | Proton-K Briz-M | Raduga (34) (Gran 45L) | Failure | Second stage failure |
| 28 | October 27, 1999 | Proton-K Blok-DM-2M | Ekspress-A 1 | Failure | Second stage failure |
| 29 | December 24, 1999 | Rokot-K | RVSN 40 | Failure | Stage-separation fired before launch |
| 30 | November 20, 2000 | Kosmos-3M | QuickBird 1 (QB 1) | Failure | Second stage failed to ignite |
| 31 | December 27, 2000 | Tsiklon-3 | Gonets 7, Gonets 8, Gonets 9, Strela-3 #125, Strela-3 #126, Strela-3 #127 | Failure | Third stage failure |
| 32 | October 15, 2002 | Soyuz-U | Foton-M 1 | Failure | First stage exploded seconds after launch |
| 33 | November 25, 2002 | Proton-K Blok-DM3 | Astra 1K | Failure | Blok-DM3 left satellite in unusable orbit; spacecraft de-orbited 15 days after launch |
| 34 | Dec. 24, 2004 | Tsiklon-3 | Sich 1M, Micron 1 | Partial Failure | Booster failed to circularize orbit |
| 35 | June 21, 2005 | Molniya-M Blok-ML | Molniya-3K | Failure | Third stage failure |
| 36 | June 21, 2005 | Volna-O | Cosmos 1 | Failure | Cosmos Studios/The Planetary Society solar sail satellite failed to separate from booster third stage |
| 37 | August 10, 2005 | Rokot Briz-KM | Cryosat | Failure | Second stage failure; crashed in Arctic Ocean north of Greenland |
| 38 | February 28, 2006 | Proton-M Briz-M | Arabsat 4A (Badr 1) | Failure | Failed to reach usable orbit; de-orbited 24 days after launch |
| 39 | July 26, 2006 | Dnepr | BelKa 1, Baumanets 1, Unisat 4, PicPot, CP 1, CP 2, HAUSAT 1, ICECube 1, ICECube 2, ION, KUTESat-Pathfinder, Mea Huaka’i, MEROPE, Ncube 1, Rincon 1, SACRED SEEDS, AeroCube 1 | Failure | Engine failure |
| 40 | Sept. 5, 2007 | Proton-M/Briz-M | JCSat 11 | Failure | Second stage failure; booster and payload crashed in Kazakhstan |
| 41 | March 14, 2008 | Proton-M/Briz-M | AMC 14 | Partial Failure | Briz-M upper stage shut down 2 minutes early. Owner SES Americom declared satellite a complete loss. AMC 14 sold to US Department of Defense which manuevered into geosynchronous orbit using on-board thrusters. |
| 42 | May 21, 2009 | Soyuz-2.1a/ Fregat | Meridian 2 | Failure | Second stage shut down early, Fregat upper stage ran out of fuel trying to compensate. Satellite left in useless orbit, declared a loss by Russian military. |
| 43 | Dec. 5, 2010 | Proton-M/ Blok-DM-3 | Uragan-M #739, Uragan-M #740, Uragan-M #741 | Failure | Rocket failed to reach orbital velocity after upper stage overfilled with propellant. |
| 44 | Feb. 1, 2011 | Rokot/Briz-KM | Geo-IK-2 No. 11 | Failure | Upper stage malfunction. |
| 45 | Aug. 17, 2011 | Proton-M/ Briz-M | Ekspress AM4 |
Failure | Briz-M upper stage suffered failure of attitude control. |
| 46 | Aug. 24, 2011 | Soyuz-U | Progress M-12 | Failure | Third stage failure due to turbo-pump duct blockage. |
| 47 | Nov. 8, 2011 | Zenit-2SB/ Fregat | Phobos-Grunt Yinghuo-1 |
Failure | Zenit placed Phobos-Grunt in proper orbit. Spacecraft stranded in Earth orbit after Fregat failed to fire. |
| 48 | Dec. 23, 2011 | Soyuz-2.1b/ Fregat | Meridian 5 | Failure | Third stage failure. |
| 49 | Aug. 6, 2012 | Proton-M/ Briz-M | Telkom-3, Ekspress MD2 | Failure | Briz-M upper stage failed 7 seconds into its third burn. |
| 50 | Dec. 8, 2012 | Proton-M/ Briz-M | Yamal-402 | Partial Failure | Briz-M upper stage shut down 4 minutes earlier than planned on fourth burn. Spacecraft reached intended orbit under own power. |
| 51 | Jan. 15, 2013 | Rokot/Briz-KM | Kosmos 2482, Kosmos 2483, Kosmos 2484 | Partial Failure | Upper stage failed near time of spacecraft separation; one satellite destroyed. |
| 52 | Feb. 1, 2013 | Zenit-3SL (Sea Launch) |
Intelsat 27 | Failure | First stage failure. |
| 53 | July 2, 2013 | Proton-M/DM-03 | Uragan-M #748, Uragan-M #749, Uragan-M #750 |
Failure | First stage failure. |
| 54 | May 15, 2014 | Proton-M/Briz-M | Ekspress AM4R | Failure | Proton third stage vernier engine failure due to turbo-pump leak. |
| 55 | Aug. 14, 2014 | Soyuz-STB/ Fregat | Galileo FOC-1, Galileo FOC-2 | Partial Failure | Satellites placed in wrong orbits due to freezing of hydrazine in Fregat upper stage. Satellites made operational as part of Europe’s Galileo navigation constellation. |
| 56 | April 28, 2015 | Soyuz-2.1a | Progress 59P | Failure | Third stage failure left Progress in uncontrollable tumble. |
| 57 | May 16, 2015 | Proton/Briz-M | MexSat-1 | Failure | Third stage failure anomaly. |
| 58 | December 5, 2015 | Soyuz-2.1v/ Volga | Kanopus ST KYuA 1 |
Partial Failure | Primary payload Kanopus ST remained attached to upper stage, later burned up in atmosphere. Secondary payload KYuA 1 deployed successfully. |
| 59 | December 1, 2016 | Soyuz U | Progress MS-04 | Failure | Third stage failure. Progress supply ship burned up in atmosphere. |
| 60 | November 28, 2017 | Soyuz 2-1b | Meteor-M 2-1, 18 CubeSats | Failure | Fregat upper stage failure. |
| 61 | October 11, 2018 | Soyuz FG | Soyuz MS-10 | Failure | Launch anomaly resulted in emergency landing for two-member crew |
12 responses to “Failures Continue to Haunt the Russian Space Program”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Alcohol is a pretty mediocre rocket fuel, but still better rocket fuel than human fuel while building spacecraft and launch vehicles. Just saying.
this is what happens when you run out of money
yup.
Corners get cut.
Everything is old. The technology. Facilities. Workforce. Strategic thinking. Russia coasted on Soviet-era success and enjoyed a large advantage in launch market share. That’s been demolished by SpaceX and NASA. U.S. is about to launch commercial crew. Russia’s newest rocket is Angara, which they don’t seem to want to use. And the whole enterprise is hobbled by fraud and waste on a massive scale.
Being a parachute packer is usually a pretty thankless job – you never use them until you need them. But on days like today, the LAS team just earned a cold one from those two.
Soyuz (and every other manned spacecraft) parachutes get used every trip. Even the Shuttle had a chute, though it was just for slowing down once already on the ground.
It is incredible how dense they are when packed–like a block of wood.
It cost the life of one cosmonaut back in 1967 to get things right with their chutes a year later…The what ifs of history?… Had the Soviet space program heeded the warning from some of their engineers back in March/April 1967, they could have delayed their first manned Soyuz missions until October 1967 (10th anniversary of Sputnik) until the parachute, gas thruster and solar-panel deployment PROBLEMS could have been resolved
in 6-7 months; and the first successful manned Soyuz mission could have occurred a year before it did in reality…It’s possible that Comrade Mishin could have ordered Gagarin to link
up with an unmanned Soyuz to boost the assemblage to a 4,000 mile apogee that autumn.
Yep, it hard to believe at times, but the Soyuz actually predates the Apollo in terms of its first flight, and uses a launch vehicle that dates from the 1950’s. It was good that thunderstorms prevented the launch of Soyuz 2a or the loss of life would have been higher.
No joy in Mudville…
But you see NASA and the Republicans was not worried. At the news conference NASA said the plan was always to de-crew ISS if Soyuz failed. So all those ideas of what to do by us were ignored or laughed at. So no backup. No discussion by Con-gress (Congress). They did not expend any thought to having a backup. Too bad if you have something on ISS you want to do. The plan is to de-crew. Neither did GAO. No need to do anything. The plan is to de-crew. A little money to have Crew Dragon 1 standby in storage. Nope, de-crew. What us worry? ISS man said we expect that Russia will find the problem quickly and ISS will be going round and round. They want the money from ISS to spend on the Moon. How dare the Democrats cancel their Moon plans.
You see we take space serious. Not them. They get school children to name spacecraft. Like the 2 spacecraft on the Moon gravity mission. Eb and Flo. Get it?
Forget Obama, the Bushes and Clinton were mostly TALK…and not really putting their (YOUR) money where their mouths were….What’s your point? Political hay? Or are you just
trying to vent your political poison?