[FPSPACE] Quickbird Failure -- Russians To Conclude It Committed Suicide?

[JamesOberg@aol.com]

JimO: If the booster performed perfectly as this article suggests, shouldn't 
there be something in orbit? The video from Uruguay certainly suggests the 
vehicle reentered short of one complete revolution. 

RUSSIAN INQUIRY INTO QUICKBIRD SATELLITE LOSS 'INCLINED TO BLAME' US OWNERS  
--   MOSCOW KOMMERSANT IN RUSSIAN 06 DEC 00 P 2
      [REPORT BY IVAN SAFRONOV:  "SPY SATELLITE DESTROYED ITSELF"]
     TWO WEEKS HAVE NOW ELAPSED SINCE THE U.S. QUICKBIRD SPY SATELLITE WAS 
LAUNCHED FROM PLESETSK.  HOWEVER, IT IS STILL NOT KNOWN FOR SURE WHAT 
HAPPENED TO IT:  THE SATELLITE NEVER MADE CONTACT WITH THE EARTH.  KOMMERSANT 
HAS LEARNED THAT THE COMMISSION INVESTIGATING THE CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT IS 
INCLINED TO BLAME THE SATELLITE'S OWNERS FOR WHAT HAPPENED.
      AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMISSION WAS FORMED IN MOSCOW AT THE BEGINNING 
OF LAST WEEK TO ASCERTAIN THE REASONS WHY CONTACT WITH THE QUICKBIRD 
SATELLITE WAS LOST.  IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THE COMMISSION IS HEADED BY 
LIEUTENANT GENERAL VALERIY GRIN, DEPUTY COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE STRATEGIC 
MISSILE TROOPS, WHO WAS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE COMMISSION FOR THE LAUNCH 
OF THE U.S. SATELLITE.  THIS EVEN PREVENTED THE GENERAL FROM GOING TO THE 
SVOBODNYY COSMODROME, WHICH LAUNCHED THE ISRAELI EROS-A1 SATELLITE YESTERDAY. 
 HE WAS ALSO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE COMMISSION FOR ITS LAUNCH.
      THE COMMISSION IS NOW ANALYZING THE TELEMETRIC INFORMATION 
RECEIVED FROM ON BOARD THE KOSMOS-3M ROCKET FROM THE MOMENT OF ITS LAUNCH 
UNTIL IT WENT BEYOND THE ZONE OF RADIO VISIBILITY FROM RUSSIAN TERRITORY, AS 
WELL AS LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE FAULTS IN THE BOOSTER.  SO FAR THE SPECIALISTS 
HAVE FAILED TO FIND A SINGLE ONE.  BUT THE COMMISSION DOES HAVE QUESTIONS TO 
PUT TO THE ORGANIZER OF THE LAUNCH -- THE PUSKOVYYE USLUGI [LAUNCH SERVICES] 
CLOSED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY.  FOR EXAMPLE, IT PREFERRED TO SAVE APPROXIMATELY 
$300,000 WHICH HAD BEEN EARMARKED FOR TRANSPORTING THE KOSMOS-3M ROCKET FROM 
THE DEFENSE MINISTRY'S ARSENAL (WHERE IT HAD LAIN IN STORE FOR 13 YEARS) TO 
THE POLET MANUFACTURING PLANT (OMSK) FOR COMPREHENSIVE TESTS TO BE CARRIED 
OUT, AND THEN TO THE COSMODROME.  THE BOOSTER WAS SENT AT ONCE TO PLESETSK, 
WHERE IT WAS MERELY CHECKED OVER.  IN GENERAL, THE KOSMOS-3M BOOSTER ROCKET 
(WITH MORE THAN 740 LAUNCHES, ITS RELIABILITY STANDS AT 97 PERCENT) IS 
GREATLY TRUSTED IN THE WORLD.
      ON THE OTHER HAND, THE SATELLITES OF THE U.S. COMPANY EARTHWATCH INC 
(IT WAS THE OWNER OF QUICKBIRD) ARE NOT NOTED FOR THEIR RELIABILITY:  NEITHER 
OF THIS FIRM'S TWO SATELLITES HAS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY.  THUS, IN 1997 THIS 
FIRM'S FIRST EARLYBIRD SATELLITE CEASED FUNCTIONING FOUR DAYS AFTER BEING 
LAUNCHED.  THEREFORE, IF THE AMERICANS FAIL TO PROVIDE DATA ON THE PARAMETERS 
OF THE SATELLITE'S OPERATION IN ORBIT (FOREIGN STATIONS WERE MEANT TO 
MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH IT), THEN THE COMMISSION WILL MOST LIKELY ANNOUNCE THAT 
THE SATELLITE'S MANUFACTURERS WERE TO BLAME FOR THE ACCIDENT.