Proton failure blamed on improperly installed sensors
Posted: Fri, Jul 19, 2013, 7:35 AM ET (1135 GMT)
Russian space agency officials said Thursday the crash of a Proton rocket earlier this month can be traced back to sensors that were installed in the rocket upside down. Officials said three of six angular velocity sensors on the Proton were incorrectly installed in the rocket, adding that they were unsure if the error was a mistake made by a technician or a flaw in blueprints for that rocket. Polygraph tests are planned for those who worked on the rocket. The Proton M, carrying three GLONASS communications satellites, lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 2 but veered out of control just seconds after liftoff, crashing a short distance from the launch pad. The earliest Proton launches could resume is the beginning of September, according to Roscosmos.
Russian space agency officials said Thursday the crash of a Proton rocket earlier this month can be traced back to sensors that were installed in the rocket upside down. Officials said three of six angular velocity sensors on the Proton were incorrectly installed in the rocket, adding that they were unsure if the error was a mistake made by a technician or a flaw in blueprints for that rocket. Polygraph tests are planned for those who worked on the rocket. The Proton M, carrying three GLONASS communications satellites, lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 2 but veered out of control just seconds after liftoff, crashing a short distance from the launch pad. The earliest Proton launches could resume is the beginning of September, according to Roscosmos.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, August 11
Russia rolling out Starlink-style network faster than expected, Kyiv says
Reuters — 5:00 am ET (0900 GMT) Musk: Starlink To Grow Beyond 100,000 Satellites With Higher Throughput
Aviation Week — 5:00 am ET (0900 GMT) U.S. space and missile defense at center stage in Huntsville, Alabama
Washington Times — 4:57 am ET (0857 GMT) Voyager Wins Space Force Tactical Data Link Comms Work
Aviation Week — 4:55 am ET (0855 GMT) Kepler Selects Rocket Lab's Neutron for First Dedicated Launch as Network Expansion Accelerates
GlobeNewswire — 4:54 am ET (0854 GMT) |
