'Contact lost' with spacecraft after second launch from Russia's new Vostochny cosmodrome

Space officials were scrambling to 'analyse' the date after the glitch which followed smooth launch from the Far East of Russia. 

The unmanned Soyuz-2.1b rocket was launched with a Fregat booster.

Contact was lost with the craft carrying the Meteor-M satellite and other payloads after   reaching  intermediate orbit. 

'During the first planned communication session an attempt to establish connection failed due to the spacecraft's absence on the target orbit,' said the Roscosmos website. 

'Currently all information is being analysed.'

Interfax earlier cited an unnamed source saying there had been a two hour communication silence from the orbiting craft.

The first launch from Vostochny spaceport took place in April 2016, with President Vladimir Putin overseeing the take-off. Pictures: Russian Space Agency

Earlier Roscosmos said: 'All the initial stages of the rocket's flight went according to plan.'

The launch was aimed to put the Meteor-M weather satellite and  18 other payloads  into orbit. 

Clients from Canada, the United States, Japan, Germany, Sweden and Norway had equipment on the launch.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday that such contracts would help Russia modernise its space industry.

'The launch of foreign devices with the help of Russian launch vehicles should strengthen our positions on the global market of space services and increase the volume of extra-budgetary funds and investments,' he said.  

Earlier Roscosmos said: 'All the initial stages of the rocket's flight went according to plan.'. Pictures: Russian Space Agency

The first launch from Vostochny spaceport took place in April 2016, with President Vladimir Putin overseeing the take-off. But the initial scheduled launch had to be postponed. 

The third launch from Vostochny is scheduled for 22 December.

'The programme of launches will continue next year - it will grow, increase,' said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, ahead of Tuesday's disaster. 

Vostochny, located in the Amur region, which borders north-eastern China, is intended to reduce Russia's dependence on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which Russia leases in the former Soviet, Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan.