MOSCOW. July 2 (Interfax-AVN) - The launch of a multirole laboratory module (MLM) for the International Space Station (ISS) could be rescheduled until next year following Tuesday's crash of a Proton-M rocket over the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, a space rocket industry source told Interfax.
"The MLM is supposed to be launched with the help of a Proton rocket at the end of the year. But it is unclear how long it will take the investigative commission to establish the cause of the accident and give the go-ahead to further launches, as well as whether the Khrunichev Center will be able to make up for delays in commercial launches. Otherwise, it could face fines. An MLM launch date will depend on all of these factors, including naturally a decision of Roscosmos [the Russian Federal Space Agency]. I do not rule out that its launch could be postponed until next year," he said.