FAILURE: Proton-M/DM-03 with 3xGlonass-M - July 2, 2013

[Rusty Adding Machine]

Anatoly Zak: "A potential toxic cloud reportedly sighted after #Proton #crash. #Baikonur residents told to stay in doors: http://www.russianspaceweb.com/proton_glonass49.html …
#GLONASS"

https://twitter.com/RussianSpaceWeb/status/351937846996779008

[Skyrocket]

Reviewed the footage there is definitely some sort of cloud that originates out of view from the reverse side (of the side facing the camera) of the booster just after liftoff.

Looks to me like that may be the origin of this but I couldn't tell you what would have produced it. There are any number of failures that could have created that cloud.

My gut tells me partial engine failure or pressurization system failure in that area and that started the chain.

The brown cloud might have nothing to do with the failure, as Protons are always venting brown Nitrogentetroxide clouds. (e.g. see the launch photo below from the DirectV-10 launch)

 

[Artyom.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSTVkkDv30k&feature=youtu.be

 

[Rusty Adding Machine]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSTVkkDv30k&feature=youtu.be

 

That is terrifying! Thanks for sharing! Is that your video?

[osiossim]

VIDEO https://vk.com/video_ext.php?oid=3419561&id=165604917&hash=3dbffe9091d3ba6c

[Artyom.]

That is terrifying! Thanks for sharing! Is that your video?

No, this video is Evgeniya Popova - https://vk.com/vam_vcem_mimo .

[Rusty Adding Machine]

That is terrifying! Thanks for sharing! Is that your video?

No, this video is Evgeniya Popova - https://vk.com/vam_vcem_mimo .

Ah, okay. Well, I think he's just had the experience of a lifetime.

[Phillip Clark]

Looking at the videos of the failure, my thoughts went back to the Mars probe failure in April 1969 - the only other time that an upside-down Proton was seen on film, I think.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Source information: apparently one of the six 1st stage engines went down in the first seconds of the flight.

This is no Falcon 9....

EDIT: another source saying that this is impossible.... 

[Ben the Space Brit]

Right, I understand from those who know more than me that the brown clouds are normal. Nonetheless, this one does seem to be associated with the failure.  Almost immediately afterwards, the rocket seems to lose pitch and yaw control and begins to spiral around its' nominal flight-path.

Then, as the rocket is directed away from the pad prior to termination, I noticed something else; there are at least two gaps in the rocket plume; this suggests to me that at least one core engine had failed and that another had been shut down to retain stability.  Maybe Proton doesn't have enough margin to sustain a premature engine out so early into the flight? Even if flight control authority had been restored, it was already an LOM so there was nothing to do but instruct the IU to terminate the flight.

As noted up-thread, RT are reporting concerns that vaporised propellent from the rocket itself as well as the upper stage and the RCS propellent on the Glonass satellites are a significant hazard.  An evacuation of the downwind area is being contemplated.

I'm used to Russian U/S failures but this is the first Proton core failure I've seen ever.

[osiossim]

SATELLITES "GLONASS-M" AND THE ROCKET "PROTON-M", MOST LIKELY ARE NOT INSURED

http://1prime.ru/Insurance/20130702/764581521.html

http://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2013/07/02/n_3011453.shtml

[Ben the Space Brit]

@osiossim,

Ouch, if that's true.  On Russia Today, they were talking about $100M for the launcher and $200M for the payload! That's a hefty chunk of change, even for Roscosmos!

[ugordan]

AIUI, the 6 engines each gimbal in one plane only. Is the engine gimbal freedom tangential to the circumference or radial outward-inward?

I wonder if a gimbal failure in one of them, a hard-over condition, is sufficient to overpower all the others' control authority?

At around T+4 s there is a noticeable engine plume deflection to the "right" apparently in the engine nearest to the camera and the vehicle then starts sliding to the left and pitching clockwise as would be consistent with this TVC kick.

[osiossim]

@osiossim,

Ouch, if that's true.  On Russia Today, they were talking about $100M for the launcher and $200M for the payload! That's a hefty chunk of change, even for Roscosmos!

I assume there is incosistency on the news information. Prime.Ru's article's machine translation says;

"In February of this year, the government has changed the rules of subsidizing insurance runs and testing of spacecraft. Changes associated with the timing and order of subsidizing organizations engaged in property insurance risks in the spacecraft, the implementation of the Federal Space Program of Russia for 2006-2015.

As the source of virtually all the satellites were divided into two groups - the "serial, which are produced on a regular basis, and the new, high-tech devices."

"According to the government decision, the money to subsidize insurance premiums are allocated only for high-end devices, since they are the most risky," - he added."

Maybe someone can find this law's article and highlight the situation.

[darkenfast]

The cell-phone video: I can make out what seems to be MChS of Russii on the back of some uniforms. I think it's the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

[terryy]

At around T+4 s there is a noticeable engine plume deflection to the "right" apparently in the engine nearest to the camera and the vehicle then starts sliding to the left and pitching clockwise as would be consistent with this TVC kick.

I noticed that too and it was very brown in color.  Made me wonder if there was some sort of fuel leak.  It looked like this even imparted some extra spin on the rocket that went faster and faster.  That probably made it very difficult for the other boosters to compensate.

[dedead]

That is terrifying! Thanks for sharing! Is that your video?

No, this video is Evgeniya Popova - https://vk.com/vam_vcem_mimo .

Is-it possible to upload the video ? (proxy at work sucks )

Too bad for russian space industry I saw the lv on May, during its integration in the 92A50/hall 11 building facility

[ugordan]

At around T+4 s there is a noticeable engine plume deflection to the "right" apparently in the engine nearest to the camera and the vehicle then starts sliding to the left and pitching clockwise as would be consistent with this TVC kick.

I noticed that too and it was very brown in color.

No, I'm not talking about the brown venting, that's normal for a Proton. I'm talking about the engine plume - its shock diamonds, etc.

[smoliarm]

RIA Novosti reported the location of impact: it is 1.5 south-east km from the launch site (#81).
The impact /explosion was quite close to the LC #200 which is used for commercial launches of Proton.

(see the map attached)

[R7]

I'm talking about the engine plume - its shock diamonds, etc.

The plume(s) on the right side look like they are lacking some vitamins.