Shortly after lift-off on Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan this unmanned Proton-M rocket exploded. Whilst no injuries were reported, three Glonass navigation satellites were being carried on the rocket.
A statement released by the space agency said:
A rocket carrier fell to the ground and exploded on the territory of the cosmodrome.
The satellites were worth a reported $200 million. To add further insult to injury, some 500 tons of fuel have left the site where the crash occurred contaminated. It is still unclear as to what caused the explosion.
