Thrust transient cause of Falcon 1 failure
Posted: Thu, Aug 7, 2008, 8:41 AM ET (1241 GMT)
A thrust transient after the first stage main engine shut down is being blamed for the failure of the latest Falcon 1 launch, SpaceX announced Wednesday. The transient, created by fuel used to cool the engine and residual oxygen, pushed the stage forward and into the second stage after the two stages separated. The vehicle's design had already taken a thrust transient into account and put a brief pause between engine shutdown and stage separation, but the transient was longer than expected, and traced to the use of a regeneratively-cooled engine rather than a ablatively-cooled engine used in the previous two Falcon 1 launches. SpaceX said no design changes other than increasing the timing between engine cutoff and stage separation is needed to deal with the problem, and another launch, carrying no satellites, could take place as soon as late September.
A thrust transient after the first stage main engine shut down is being blamed for the failure of the latest Falcon 1 launch, SpaceX announced Wednesday. The transient, created by fuel used to cool the engine and residual oxygen, pushed the stage forward and into the second stage after the two stages separated. The vehicle's design had already taken a thrust transient into account and put a brief pause between engine shutdown and stage separation, but the transient was longer than expected, and traced to the use of a regeneratively-cooled engine rather than a ablatively-cooled engine used in the previous two Falcon 1 launches. SpaceX said no design changes other than increasing the timing between engine cutoff and stage separation is needed to deal with the problem, and another launch, carrying no satellites, could take place as soon as late September.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX performs two Falcon 9 launches less than an hour apart
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) Virgin Galactic delays resumption of commercial flights to 2027
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:54 AM ET (1454 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, August 17
Ukrainian Flamingo Missiles Reportedly Hit Russia’s Progress Space-Rocket Centre in Samara
EU Today — 4:53 am ET (0853 GMT) Flamingo may have hit Russia's space program at its weakest link
RBC — 4:52 am ET (0852 GMT) MDA Space Satellites for Globalstar Successfully Launched
MDA — 4:51 am ET (0851 GMT) Rocket Lab Satellite Platforms Built for MDA Space Successfully Reach Orbit, Supporting Globalstar Direct-to-Device Communications Services
Rocket Lab — 4:50 am ET (0850 GMT) WA names Space Angel as recipient of spaceport establishment grant
Space and Defense — 4:44 am ET (0844 GMT) |
