BAIKONUR. June 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Experts of the Khrunichev state space research and production center arrived at the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan on Thursday to fix a malfunction in the Briz-M booster stage.
"The experts are analyzing the malfunction and they are to propose a way of filling the booster stage with fuel without returning the rocket to the filling station on the assembly site," a Baikonur source told Interfax.
Earlier reports said that a Proton-K launch vehicle with a Briz-M booster stage and the Sirius FM5 telecommunications satellite was to blast off from Baikonur at 11:10 p.m., Moscow time, on June 29. But a malfunction was detected when the booster stage was being filled with fuel on Wednesday. The launch was put off.
If experts manage to fuel the booster stage without disassembling the rocket, the launch could take place in about four days from the date set earlier.
Otherwise, the rocket will have to be moved to the assembly site, the upper stage separated, the booster unit removed and repair work done.
"In this case, even if the work goes smoothly, the launch will only be possible with a delay of no less than two weeks," the spokesman said.