5 Dec 2010 sank three satellites GLONASS

Today, December 5, 2010, from the Baikonur cosmodrome launched a carrier rocket "proton-M" with three satellites "GLONASS-M". The rocket left the launch normally. a few hours Roscosmos sparingly notified that the block of space vehicles launched into an unplanned orbit. Before that a variety of sources pointed out that this non-nominal orbit has led the companions into the waters of the Pacific ocean.
It is worth noting that the launch was a landmark — it was expected that the three new devices (it was 111, 112 and 113 satellites system), the GLONASS constellation will finally be deployed to full strength. Obviously, this did not happen. What actually happened and what it might mean for users of "Russian GPS" and for the system?

At the moment the situation is unclear, and the final result on the causes of the problem can be done only after the official conclusion already formed a Commission to identify the causes of the disaster and order further action. While that circulates diverse, often contradictory information, according to which the problem of the trajectory of a missile began to occur almost from the start, and ultimately failed pitch to a few angular degrees. Likely, the main intrigue will be in who is to blame — the creators of "proton" LV (GKNPTs Khrunichev), or the creators of the block DM-03 — in this start was first tested in the a new modification of block DM (11С861-03) with the increased filling and greater carrying capacity.
What this failure might mean for the GLONASS system?
First, the deployment plan of groups to the nominal configuration (24 unit 8 in each of three orbital planes) is broken. Now the system has only 20 satellites, and do not work on two spacecraft in two orbital planes. Satellites are not eternal, the GLONASS satellites compared to the GPS satellites — especially to launch another three devices as the group certainly will not improve.
Secondly, it is interesting that in the Soviet Union/Russia launched GLONASS satellites 113, and system — all there is, while in the United States until today launched the 61 satellites, and the system was deployed in 1994 and since then is completely and continuously in a healthy normal condition. Obviously, the problem of creating a competitive, long-running spacecraft has priority in comparison with the continuous launch of huge amounts of obsolete devices.
Thirdly, approaching the period of the planned final transition of the GLONASS system for the transmission of signals in the CDMA format that will be pointless — completely or partially — the work on creation of a specific GLONASS/GPS receivers.

UPD. The investigation showed that the cause of the fall of the valuable cargo was the complex of factors of which the most impressive was the generous overflow beyond measure of fuel in the tanks of the upper stage. And led to this confusion, as it turned out two weeks later, the lack of monitoring and documentation — "technical documentation is not perfected, the monitoring was not carried out".
In General, you should think about.

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru