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European Satellite Explodes Upon Lift-Off

Just seconds after lift-off, a European satellite exploded on a Russian rocket carrying it to collect polar ice data. Because of this, the European Space Agency experienced a major set-back to its experimental attempt.

`Remnants of the satellite crashed into the ocean,` Vyacheslav Davidenko, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Space Agency told The Associated Press. `The problem appeared to be with the booster rocket that was supposed to lift the CryoSat unit into orbit.`

Davidenko adds, `The booster unit did not switch on and it resulted in the failure of the satellite to reach orbit. The remnants of the satellite have fallen into the northern Arctic Ocean.`

Equipped with radar altimeters, the satellite was to examine the miles-thick ice sheets that cover Greenland and the Antarctic land mass and the comparatively thin sea ice in the polar regions. Previous satellites have been able to examine only sea ice.