Turbopump bearing blamed for Proton failure
Posted: Thu, Jun 12, 2014, 7:53 AM ET (1153 GMT)
Russian officials have blamed a Proton launch failure last month on a faulty turbopump bearing in the rocket's upper stage. The head of Roscosmos, Oleg Ostapenko, said that the final report into the May 16 launch failure confirmed an initial investigation that the failed bearing forced the engine to shut down, causing the upper stage and its payload to reenter over China. Ostapenko said Roscosmos has not set a date for resuming Proton launches. Plans for the inaugural launch of the Angara rocket, scheduled for June 25, will continue as planned, he said, although "extra equipment inspections" of the vehicle are planned. The launch failure destroyed the Express АМ4R communications satellite.
Russian officials have blamed a Proton launch failure last month on a faulty turbopump bearing in the rocket's upper stage. The head of Roscosmos, Oleg Ostapenko, said that the final report into the May 16 launch failure confirmed an initial investigation that the failed bearing forced the engine to shut down, causing the upper stage and its payload to reenter over China. Ostapenko said Roscosmos has not set a date for resuming Proton launches. Plans for the inaugural launch of the Angara rocket, scheduled for June 25, will continue as planned, he said, although "extra equipment inspections" of the vehicle are planned. The launch failure destroyed the Express АМ4R communications satellite.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, February 2
First launch of Ariane 6 with four boosters
ESA — 6:37 am ET (1137 GMT) Europe’s digital Earth gets ready to grow user community
ESA — 6:37 am ET (1137 GMT) Inside the high-stakes battle over Space Force advocacy
Washington Times — 6:34 am ET (1134 GMT) SpaceX rocket launch planned Monday morning at Vandenberg Space Force Base
KSBY-TV San Luis Obispo, CA — 6:32 am ET (1132 GMT) SpaceX Plans Data Center Satellite Constellation
Aviation Week — 6:30 am ET (1130 GMT) |
