Russia Space Chief Says Some Of Nation’s Satellites May Have Been Sabotaged

[Purveyor]

By Associated Press,

MOSCOW — Some recent failures of Russian satellites may have been the result of sabotage by foreign forces, Russia’s space chief said in comments apparently aimed at the United States.

Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin stopped short of accusing any specific country of disabling Russian satellites, but in an interview Tuesday in the daily Izvestia he said some Russian craft had suffered “unexplained” malfunctions while flying over another side of the globe beyond the reach of his nation’s tracking facilities.

Popovkin spoke when asked about the failure of the $170-million unmanned Phobos-Ground probe, which was to explore one of Mars’ two moons, Phobos, but became stranded while orbiting Earth after its Nov. 9 launch. Engineers in Russia and the European Space Agency have failed to propel the spacecraft toward Mars, and it is expected to fall back to Earth around Jan. 15.

Roscosmos spokesman Alexei Kuznetsov refused to elaborate on Popovkin’s comments, which marked the first time a senior Russian government official has claimed that foreign sabotage has been used to disable one of the country’s satellites.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-space-chief-says-countrys-spacecraft-may-have-suffered-from-hostile-interference/2012/01/10/gIQATfr2nP_story.html

[pampango]

1. When in doubt, blame foreigners. Always a sound strategy.

The fact that the Phobos-Ground probe is falling out of the sky without foreign help probably puts the space chief on the spot, especially if other Russian-made satellites are malfunctioning. If foreigners are at fault, perhaps his job will be saved.

[MicaelS]

2. Typical Russian pride and inferiority complex in action..

Just like all those Russian admirals who blamed the sinking of the Kursk on "collision with a foreign submarine". Only to find out later it was their own faulty torpedo that caused the sinking. Then their refusal to accept help from the West caused the deaths of all aboard.

Russians seem incapable of saying "We fucked up."

[Ian David]

3. Who would DO such a thing?

[Fearless]

4. Sounds more like shitty design than foul play IMO. n/t

[jakeXT]

5. If the Iranians can jam a drone with Russian technology, why not /nt

[Generic Other]

6. What's the name of that great car they built?

The Trabant. Out of cardboard.