Yes, news today from spaceflightnow.com says : "In an update posted on its Web site, Roscosmos said the stage and the AMC 14 payload reached an orbit with a high point of about 17,400 miles, about 5,000 miles short of the intended altitude at the end of the burn. The Breeze M deployed the spacecraft shortly after the early engine shutdown, and SES AMERICOM will now be faced with making future plans for the stranded satellite, Roscosmos said. AMC 14 could reach its target orbit if there is enough space fuel on-board, or officials could elect to use a dramatic lunar fyby to use the moon's gravity to slingshot the craft into geosynchronous orbit. Such a maneuver succeeded in 1998 for AsiaSat 3, another satellite victim of a Proton failure."
So it seems there is still hope, be it very small as AMC could still decide to self destruct it for insurance purposes (they might not get paid if they move it into orbit)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick @ Mar 15th 2008 12:54PM
Yes, news today from spaceflightnow.com says :
"In an update posted on its Web site, Roscosmos said the stage and the AMC 14 payload reached an orbit with a high point of about 17,400 miles, about 5,000 miles short of the intended altitude at the end of the burn.
The Breeze M deployed the spacecraft shortly after the early engine shutdown, and SES AMERICOM will now be faced with making future plans for the stranded satellite, Roscosmos said. AMC 14 could reach its target orbit if there is enough space fuel on-board, or officials could elect to use a dramatic lunar fyby to use the moon's gravity to slingshot the craft into geosynchronous orbit. Such a maneuver succeeded in 1998 for AsiaSat 3, another satellite victim of a Proton failure."
So it seems there is still hope, be it very small as AMC could still decide to self destruct it for insurance purposes (they might not get paid if they move it into orbit)