12 Satellites Lost At Launch

A Zenit-2 rocket apparently suffered a second stage malfunction during launch on Wednesday, reports CBS News Space Consultant Bill Harwood.

The failure triggered the loss of 12 Globalstar mobile phone satellites.

It was the first commercial launch for the Ukrainian builders of the Zenit rocket, and a devastating failure for Globalstar, a consortium led by Loral Space and Communications of New York.

"A rocket malfunction has resulted in the loss of twelve Globalstar satellites," a Globalstar spokesman confirmed Thursday. "Preliminary data indicates there was a problem in the second stage of the rocket. An investigation has commenced, although detailed results might not be available immediately."

The satellites cost about $15 million each and all 12 were insured, according to company officials. It was the second major commercial satellite loss in less than a month following the Aug. 26 failure of a Boeing Delta 3 rocket that destroyed a PanAmSat communications station.

The $2.6 billion Globalstar system requires 48 satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide a global network for mobile phone users. The first four satellites were launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Station by a Boeing Delta rocket on Feb. 14. Four more were successfully boosted into orbit by a Delta on April 23.

Three Zenit rockets were booked to launch 12 satellites each in September, November and December. Another 12 spacecraft, including eight orbital spares, will be launched by Russian Soyuz rockets in early 1999 to complete the constellation.

That schedule was thrown into disarray by Wednesday's failure and it is not yet known whether Globalstar will stick with the Ukrainian rocket builders for the two upcoming flights or switch to another launch system.

The white, liquid-fueled two-stage Zenit-2 rocket blasted off at 4:29 p.m. EDT on Wednesday and climbed away through a generally clear night sky at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Globalstar manager, Joe Killian, was on hand at the Zenit blockhouse, providing live commentary.

Throughout the ascent, Killian reported that all systems were performing normally, including the second stage. He said engineers were not immediately able to confirm satellite separation 17 minutes after takeoff due to a low-angle radio link as the vehicle passed over Korea.

The company's live coverage ended at 5:30 p.m. At that time, John Klineberg, Globalstar executive vice president of space system constellation establishment, said it appeared some, if not all the satellites had been deployed. But reporters were told to call a recorded Globalstar "hotline" to get updates later.

Those updates never came. The first confirmation of a problem came around 9 a.m. Thursday with a brief statement saying the satellites were lost.

This was in sharp contrast the reaction of Boeing and Hughes Space & Communications in the wake of the Delta 3 failure late last month, in which company oficials held a news conference within hours of the $225 million mishap. Even the U.S. Air Force provided preliminary data immediately after a Titan 4 rocket exploded earlier last month, destroying a spy satellite.

While details are sketchy, one can only assume Globalstar's unusual failure to communicate was due at least in part to a lack of information from the Russian launch team. Even more troubling, perhaps, was Killian's commentary. It is not yet clear why he continued reporting ascent "data" beyond the point where a second stage malfunction would have occurred. He said the stage worked properly and that the nose cone fairing protecting the satellites during the early phases of flight was jettisoned normally during that period.

One possible explanation is that the satellites or their deployment system were damaged when the nose cone fairing separated four-and-a-half minutes after liftoff and fell away during second stage operation. The rocket itself might have continued a normal ascent and Russian engineers might not have realized what happened until later. As of this writing, however, the nature of the failure remains a mystery.

The Globalstar launch was the Zenit's second following a May 20, 1997, failure that destroyed a Russian military payload. That rocket broke up 48 seconds after launch due to excessive vibration in the first stage engine. A launch on July 10 was successful, clearing the way for the Globalstar mission.

Written by Bill Harwood
©1998, CBS Worldwide Inc., All Rights Reserved