6 Dec 2010

Russian satellites believed to have crashed

9:53 am on 6 December 2010

Three Russian satellites that were being sent into orbit to complete a navigation system have gone off course and are believed to have crashed into the Pacific Ocean.

A Russian news agency says they came down near Hawaii.

The satellites were being carried by a rocket which blasted off on Sunday from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan.

Officials said the satellites went off course after separating with a booster rocket from the main launch rocket, the BBC reports.

Russia has already successfully launched a number of the Glonass satellites this year.

The navigation system is meant to be in place next year.