Falcon 1 loss blamed on fuel leak
Posted: Wed, Jul 19, 2006, 7:13 AM ET (1113 GMT)
A review board has concluded that the failed inaugural launch of the Falcon 1 earlier this year was caused by a fuel leak. The Falcon 1 lifted off from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific on March 24, but its main engine shut down a half-minute into the flight, causing the vehicle to plummet to Earth. A government board investigating the failure concluded that a corroded nut allowed fuel to leak onto the main engine, triggering a fire that led to the loss of pressurization, closing valves that shut down the engine. The conclusion is substantially the same as what SpaceX, the vehicle's manufacturer, reported shortly after the launch failure. The company is working on design and process changes for what it has dubbed the "Falcon 1.1", and plans to carry out two launches of the upgraded vehicle by the end of the year.
A review board has concluded that the failed inaugural launch of the Falcon 1 earlier this year was caused by a fuel leak. The Falcon 1 lifted off from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific on March 24, but its main engine shut down a half-minute into the flight, causing the vehicle to plummet to Earth. A government board investigating the failure concluded that a corroded nut allowed fuel to leak onto the main engine, triggering a fire that led to the loss of pressurization, closing valves that shut down the engine. The conclusion is substantially the same as what SpaceX, the vehicle's manufacturer, reported shortly after the launch failure. The company is working on design and process changes for what it has dubbed the "Falcon 1.1", and plans to carry out two launches of the upgraded vehicle by the end of the year.
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