Drop zone permission suddenly withdrawn
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
Thongchai Charuppat, director of Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, talks with his deputy in Russia via mobile phone about the delay in the launch of the THEOS natural resources survey satellite. |
The launch of Thailand's first natural resources survey satellite, THEOS, aboard a Russian rocket has again been postponed after Kazakhstan suddenly withdrew permission for the first-stage booster to fall within its borders.
It was the second such setback for the project. The first planned launch was cancelled under similar circumstances late last year.
The satellite was to have been placed in a sun-synchronous near-circular orbit yesterday by the Russian company ISC Kosmotras from the Dombarovskiy Cosmodrome, near Yasny in southeast Russia.
The launch cancellation was announced in Bangkok by Thongchai Charuppat, director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).
He said the launch was stopped because of a failure in the negotiation of a drop zone agreement with Kazakhstan.
It was unclear how long the delay would last, but the agency was considering filing for compensation.
He said ISC Kosmotras informed him late on Tuesday that Kazakhstan had made a U-turn over the drop zone agreement. The country refused without explanation to allow the first section of the rocket to drop into its territory.
"We never thought we'd see a repeat of the Uzbekistan case," he said, referring to the suspension of the THEOS launch at the end of last year after the failure of drop zone talks with Uzbekistan, which neighbours Kazakhstan.
Uzbekistan was concerned that over 10 tonnes of discarded rocket parts would shower down on its natural gas sites.
Later, GISTDA was informed by ISC Kosmotras that Kazakhstan had agreed to allow a drop zone.
The satellite's launch was then rescheduled for yesterday at 1.37pm (Thailand time).
"The (Kazakhstan) case is worse because the cancellation was made at the last minute," Mr Thongchai said.
"All functional systems were in place and the rocket was fully fueled.
"We are waiting for the negotiation between the launch company and Kazakhstan," he said.
"The problem is not with the satellite, which is now ready to work," he added.
Science and Technology Minister Wuthipong Chaisaeng admitted he had been a little sceptical from the beginning of the project when the satellite would actually launch, because delays could happen.
"Despite the problem, we have to put our best efforts into getting it launched because we have already invested so much money in the project. We don't want to waste it," he said.
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