D-Star Satellite Apparently Lost in Launch Failure

D-Star One's flight spare will be the
basis for a second attempt to launch
an amateur satellite using the D-Star
protocol. (Phoro from D-Star One website)

D-Star One, the first amateur satellite to use the Japan Amateur Radio League's digital voice and data format, was among 18 secondary payloads apparently lost in a partial launch failure on November 28. 

The ARRL Letter reports that the three-stage Soyuz 2.1 booster was launched without a problem from the new Vostochny Cosmo- drome in far-eastern Russia. However, it appears that the third stage, the Fregat space tug, apparently failed to deploy the satellites it was carrying. Russia's space agency is investigating the failure.

D-Star One's website says the group will use the flight spare (pictured) as the basis for making a second launch attempt in the future.