Blow to Russian space programme as satellite fails to enter orbit after launch

A Russian weather satellite has failed to enter a designated orbit after its launch, the national space agency said, in another blow to the nation's space programme.

Roscosmos said it had failed to establish communications with the Meteor M 2-1 satellite, launched on a Soyuz-2 booster rocket from Russia's new Vostochny launch pad in the Far East.