The Kazakh government has suspended operations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome,
following the failure of a Proton rocket which sent a communications satellite
crashing to Earth on its territory. Baikonur is in Kazakhstan, but is the main
launch centre for the Russian space programme.
The launch site is expected to reopen after Russian officials complete an
investigation of the mishap, caused by the failure of the Proton鈥檚 second and
third stages to separate. The Russian Space Agency remains confident that the
problem won鈥檛 delay the launch of the International Space Station鈥檚 service
module, planned for November.