The Russian satellite Meteor-M, launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, could have fallen into the ocean near Antarctica without reaching its intended orbit, RIA Novosti reports, citing a source in the space industry.

Interfax also writes that the satellite could have fallen into the ocean, citing a source in the rocket and space industry. According to the agency's source, this could have happened if problems had arisen at the stage of issuing the first of two impulses by the propulsion system. "In the most favorable scenario of failure to issue the second impulse, the device could have been launched into an unplanned orbit," the source said.

On Tuesday, November 28, the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and the Meteor-M satellite as the main payload and 18 additional satellites as secondary payload was launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Roscosmos reported that the rocket's head section, consisting of the Fregat block and the Meteor-M, separated from the third stage of the rocket as planned. Later, an Interfax source reported that the satellite did not transmit telemetry data at the estimated time, which may indicate an abnormal situation.

The Soyuz-2 stage 1b launch vehicle was launched from Vostochny for the first time. The first launch from the new cosmodrome took place in April 2016, when the Soyuz-2 stage 1a launch vehicle was launched.

How the second rocket in the history of the cosmodrome was launched from VostochnyPhoto 1 / 10

On November 28, the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Meteor-M spacecraft and a group of small spacecraft was launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Interfax reported / Dmitri Lovetsky / AP

Media reported on the possible fall of the Meteor-M satellite into the ocean