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| Map of the rocket fall incident. (Photo: BBC) |
A Russian rocket carrying 18 satellites fell shortly after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 26.
According to officials overseeing the operation, the engine of the Dnepr rocket ceased functioning 86 seconds after liftoff.
The rocket fell approximately 25 kilometers from the launch site. There were no casualties on the ground, but all 18 satellites were destroyed. Most of these satellites were launched for foreign clients, including those from the United States and Italy. Notably, one of the satellites was Belka, the first artificial object from Belarus to be sent into space. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had previously visited Baikonur to attend the satellite launch ceremony. His reaction to the incident remains unclear.
M.C
