Russian steampunk rocket blows up Japanese satellite
Kazakhstan suspends Proton satellite launches from Baikonur
MOSCOW (AFP) Thursday, September 6, 2007 —Kazakhstan on Thursday announced the suspension of satellite launches by Proton rocket from the Baikonur space centre after the failed launch of a Japanese telecommunications satellite, Interfax news agency reported….First reports said a technical failure linked with an engine in the Russian Proton-M rocket carrying the satellite took place a few minutes after the launch at 02:43 am Moscow time...more….
As pictured here before the launch, the Russian Proton/Breeze M rocket looks positively steampunk in its appearance. However, there’s a rest-of-the-story about why this is the first Japanese satellite operator to ride on a Russian-built vehicle….Blame George Bush.
Japan’s JSAT Corporation had to switch to the Russian Pronton Breeze M even though all their previous missions were launched on Atlas rockets from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
Why?
To save money?
Sort of, but no.
JSAT Corporation was forced to use the steampunk rocket to stay on schedule because US Atlas rockets are all being used to launch spy satellites over Iraq, Iran, et al (rather than making money launching communications satellites).
Come to think of it, everything that Japan launches seems to crash. They need to take a hint from SONY PlayStation and Nepal Air.
Nepal fixes Boeing 757 with goat sacrifice
–Hindu sky god duly remedies electrical fault–
TheRegister.co.uk 2007/Sept/05
Nepal Airlines has apparently fixed an electrical fault on one of its Boeing 757s by sacrificing two goats in appeasement of Hindu sky god Akash Bhairab….
Sony’s Silence of the Goats (Hindu sky god edition)
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January 10th, 2010 at 5:16 am
Beware our IMPERIAL wankerFISTS, Akasch Bhailab, thou tyranidical offspring! Prepare for EXTERMINATUS EXTREMIS! Let’s cleanse this tainted foul-brood with flamers! WE WILL CLEANSE!!!
Ursarkar Creed, of the IMPERIAL wankerFISTS, WARHAMMER 40,0000
November 24th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Welcome folks from io9.com!
November 30th, 2010 at 4:25 am
So interest-ing. I was born in Moscow in 1979 but my mother and I fled and came to Japan. I did not care much about my Russian roots until my mother died recently till now really. Seemed like food was as good a place as any to start. You do not hear much about RussianCooking do you?
March 20th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Akasch Bhailab = horny wanker