After launched status of first solar sail spacecraft COSMOS 1 is unknown.

Status of privately funded $4m Solar Sail COSMOS 1 is unkown after its launch on tuesday, as scientists monitoring the launch are not able to receive any signals from COSMOS 1.

After lift off from Russian submarine volna a ICBM was suppose to carry COSMOS 1 upto 800 Km in atmosphere. Russian Flight controller reported that there are indication of volna would have faced some problems at first or second firing stage.

"Due to the spontaneous failure of the motor of the first part of the Volna missile carrier at the 83rd second of the launch, the unique device 'solar sail' did not reach its orbit," Statement from Roskosmos Space agency said.

With reliable senior source in the COSMOS 1 project Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported that space craft might have come down somewhere near New Zealand.

However US team from California based planetary society monitoring this project reported that two weak signals from two independent ground stations has been found.

"We have reviewed our telemetry recordings and have found what we believe are spacecraft signals in the data recorded at the tracking stations in Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka and Majuro, Marshall Islands," the statement on Planetary society website said.

Planetary society who is mainly managing the project said on there internet website that it is too early to write off the launch, as they are able to trap two weak signals from spacecraft although indicating that spacecraft might be in a wrong orbit.

As COSMOS 1 can still be tracked with positive hopes for few more days, Friedmann (chief in command for the project) and his team will continue to monitor planned telemetry sessions and will be working with U.S. STRATCOM (Strategic Command) to locate Cosmos 1.

COSMOS 1 was supposed to send the first signal to earth once it reaches the orbit. This project would have proved feasibility of solar sails for space missions.

Before this attempt COSMOS 1 was launched in July 2001 with the same carrier Volna which didn't succeeded as spacecraft failed to separate from rocket at the last stage.

With only two weak signals from the craft and russian media already reporting loss of COSMOS 1 situation is looking grim for solar sail researchers.

On a different note, NASA has begun designing its own solar spaceship capable of carrying 240 kilograms (531 pounds), with a sail the size of a football field.

Find related story : World's First Solar Sail COSMOS 1 is planned to take off on June 21st 2005.