Russian ‘space wars’ rocket launch fails and may send 20 tonnes back to Earth

Russia’s biggest “space wars” rocket in decades, the Angara A-5, malfunctioned only making it to “low orbit” and could send 20 tonnes of payload hurtling back to Earth

Russia’s biggest “space wars” rocket launch in decades failed and may send 20 tonnes of payload screaming back to Earth, it has been claimed.

The new generation Angara A-5 heavy carrier rocket malfunctioned and only made it to “low orbit,” leaving it short of its target and set to fall back to Earth.

Although only a mock-up satellite it was crucial to Russia as a new military weapons delivery system and most of it is likely to burn-up on re-entering the atmosphere.

Footage showed the spectacular unmanned launch from Plesetsk spaceport on Monday marking a new stage in Moscow’s space wars ambitions.

The rocket is meant to take advanced spy and weapons navigation satellites into orbit in the and may be used in moon missions.

The Angara and the Persei booster carried a mock satellite payload on this pioneering test flight and experts believe the Angara A-5 initial rocket launch worked but there was a failure with the later separation from the Persei booster.

It left the pretend satellite in low-orbit and it is likely to crash down to earth in weeks, according to Moscow newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.

The newspaper said that the Persei had to make five engine burns in the test mission, but it “malfunctioned” on the second.

As a result “the model satellite failed to reach its intended orbit 22,236 miles above sea level.”

The paper said: “This failure can be considered the first… full-fledged launch accident at Roscosmos [the Russian space agency] in the past three years.

“If a real satellite had been on board as a payload, it would have been lost.

“And this failure reminds us that it was possible to achieve high reliability in recent years only due to the fact that Roscosmos used old, long-proven technology.”

It comes amid fears of a Russian invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

Moskovsky Komsomolets [MK] reported that American space tracking service NORAD reported an unknown object “A”, numbered 50505.

“By all indications – this object is very similar to our Persei stuck in low orbit along with the payload model (satellite),” the paper continued.

“If so, then a total of about 20 uncontrollable tonnes are flying over us, which will sooner or later fall.

“It will be good if it is in the Pacific Ocean.”

Most is expected to burn out as it reenters the atmosphere.

The question is where the leftovers will fall?

MK reported that the space agency has declined to give information on the launch.