OREANDA-NEWS. July 30, 2010. The rail convoy with the Proton launch vehicle assigned to support launch of GLONASS M satellites arrived in the Integration-and-Test Facility at the Baikonur launch base and the launcher units were offloaded from rail cars, reported the press-centre of Khrunichev.

At present, a board of experts set up by the Khrunichev Space Center have started their investigation. The board is to determine the launcher status and to answer one question:  Is this launch vehicle flightworthy to support the scheduled GLONASS mission? 
 
The board’s official findings are to be released later on.
 
Should the board decide that the item under investigation must be replaced by another one, a back-up Proton launcher is available and ready for use.

Given the importance of GLONASS constellation deployment, a decision has been made to ship another Proton launcher to Baikonur.  The shipment took place late night on 26/27 July.

The existing situation will have no effect on the launch of GLONASS satellites on a Proton launch vehicle planned to be carried out in September.  The mission will take place as scheduled.

It is to be reminded that the dedicated rail convoy got subjected to an inadvertent impact near the city of Ulyanovsk on 18 July as this convoy was transporting a Proton launch vehicle.  The launch vehicle involved in this incident is insured.