No signal from CryoSat
At 17:07 CEST the Breeze upper stage of the Rockot launcher was supposed to ignite for the first time. The burn was to last until 17:16 CEST. A second burn was due to take place at 18:17 CEST, lasting only a few seconds. At the time of writing ESA has no confirmation from the Launcher Authorities that these milestones were successfully achieved.
After loss of visibility following the first propelled phase of the flight, there was no further contact with the upper stage and the spacecraft. The conclusion of the Russian State Commission with further details is expected any time from now.
At 18:32 CEST a signal was supposed to be acquired from CryoSat through ESA’s tracking station at Redu, Belgium, but acquisition did not occur. CryoSat should have separated at 18:36 CEST, while it was visible from ESA’s Kiruna tracking station in Sweden.
