Image: Tsenki TV
A Russian rocket crash July 1 was likely caused by an emergency shutdown of the booster’s engines 17 seconds into the flight, according to news reports.
The unmanned Russian Proton-M rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstanat 10:38 p.m. EDT (0238 GMT). The crash of the 17-story booster destroyed three onboard navigation satellites, which were worth almost $200 million. Video of the rocket crash from Russian state-run Rossiya-24 television shows the vehicle veering off course shortly after liftoff, and then breaking apart in mid-air and exploding in a fiery blaze once it hit the ground.
via Russian Rocket Crash Details Revealed: Scientific American.
