A Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying Meteor-M № 2-1 satellite into space from VostochnyCosmodrome in Russia. Credit: State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS.

Russian space agency Roscosmos has failed to establish contact with an Earth observation satellite shortly after its launch from the new Vostochny Cosmodrome site.

A Soyuz-2.1b rocket was used to deploy the Meteor-M 2-1 satellite into a solar-synchronous orbit.

The Baumanets-2 Earth observation satellite and 17 other micro satellites were also piggybacked with the Meteor-M 2-1 during the launch.

“The first three stages of Soyuz-2.1b have taken the ascent unit into the specified intermediate orbit.”

The micro satellites were built in Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US, reported Associated Press.

After the failure, Roscosmos said in a statement: “According the flight programme, the first three stages of Soyuz-2.1b have taken the ascent unit into the specified intermediate orbit.

“However, during the first planned communication session with the satellite, it was not possible to establish a connection due to its absence in the target orbit. Currently, the information is being analysed.”

According to Russian news agencies, a possible software error could have led to the failure of the rocket booster’s final stage, Fregat, during the recent mission.

It is still not confirmed whether the Meteor-M 2-1 and its accompanying satellites descended into the ocean or trapped in low-Earth orbit.

The latest incident represents the second failed launch since the opening of the Vostochny Cosmodrome last April.