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 |