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Proton launch delayed due to problem to connector on flight vehicle, says ILS

"The ground system was wrongly identified as the cause of today’s delay" reported International Launch Services

© Sergey Savostianov/TASS

WASHINGTON, June 9. /TASS/. The delay in the launch of Proton M rocket tasked with the launch of the Intelsat 31 communications satellite was caused by a problem to connector on the flight vehicle, the Russian-American joint venture International Launch Services (ILS) reported on Wednesday.

"Following the additional verifications of the cables and connectors associated with last night’s issue which resulted in a delay to the Intelsat 31 launch, the problem has been isolated to a connector on the flight vehicle," the company said.

"The ground system was wrongly identified as the cause of today’s delay. The flight connector issue has been resolved and the vehicle cleared for flight," it reported

"The Proton launch vehicle and the Intelsat 31 satellite remain in a safe configuration at the launch site awaiting launch. Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and International Launch Services (ILS) plan to make another attempt at 13:10 Baikonour time, tomorrow, June 9," said the company headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Earlier, it reported that the launch of Russia’s Proton-M carrier rocket with a US Intelsat 31 (Intelsat DLA-2) communications satellite was delayed on Wednesday over a problem with the ground-based electrical equipment system.

International Launch Services makes commercial launches of Proton-M carrier rockets.

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