The U.S. satellite Quick Bird launched in the early hours of Tuesday entered its orbit but disappeared from the visibility zone of Russian radio equipment and does not respond to the signals sent by Russian ground stations, the Russian Defense Ministry main center for spacecraft testing and control has told Interfax.
The center did not disclose any details but said experts were analyzing the case. A specialist from the center said they were not overdramatizing the situation and "there are several options of resolving it."
A Russian Kosmos-3M booster-rocket with the U.S. satellite launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region, north Russia, reached the planned orbit.
The launch was put off by an hour at the request of the U.S. side because American ground control facilities had been unprepared for receiving telemetric data.
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