MOSCOW. May 19 (Interfax-AVN) - A commission investigating the causes of the failed launch of the Proton-M carrier rocket is probing several theories, an informed source from the space rocket industry told Interfax-AVN on Monday.
"The commission is working. Telemetric information has not been fully deciphered yet. It is studied, in particular, by specialists from the N.A. Pilyugin Automation and Instrumentation Scientific Production Center," the source said.
The telemetrics are due to be deciphered "in the next few days," he said.
A malfunction in the Proton-M third-stage propulsion unit is seen as the most likely cause of the accident, the source said.
The Proton-M rocket with the Briz-M upper stage and the Express-AM4R telecommunications satellite was launched from Baikonur in the early hours of Friday morning. The available data suggest that the malfunction occurred in the vehicle's third stage.
Proton-M launches have been temporarily suspended.
The Proton-M rocket and the Briz-M upper stage were designed and made by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center.