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Post mortem for CRS-3 Antares notes turbopump failure
Post mortem for CRS-3 Antares notes turbopump failure.Engineers are methodically working through stacks of data related to last week's failure of the CRS-3/OrB-3 Antares launch vehicle. Orbital managers have noted that early data points to the failure of a turbopump on one of Antares' AJ-26 engines as the leading reason the rocket failed just seconds after launch. The company are now working towards "upgrading" the propulsion system with a new engine, ready for 2016. Antares Failure: Antares – along with her Cygnus spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) – were lost seconds after launch during Thursday's mission from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia. The rocket made a nominal ascent off the pad, as Antares conducted her designed "Baumgartner Maneuver" – a subtle sideways step to ease the vehicle away from the close proximity of the Transporter/Erector/Launcher (TEL) – and ascended into the night sky. Once clear of the pad, the first sign of trouble was a distinct change to the appearance of the plume generated by her AJ-26 engines at T+14 seconds – suggesting oxidizer starvation in at least one engine – prior to the aft of the vehicle exploding a second later. Additional videos of varying quality showed a "ghost image" or visual artifact on the footage, which may provide extra insight into what transpired. The next event was sadly obvious, as propulsion was lost and the vehicle fell in flames, exploding near the pad from where she had just departed. The Flight Termination System (FTS) was activated just moments prior to the vehicle impacting the ground. It is understood the FTS command was successfully sent via the Range Safety system that employs fully steerable antennas, which track the rocket, as well as omni antennas which radiate in all directions. This ensures the rocket receives the command. This command results in the puncturing of the tank domes on the first stage and the motor dome on the second stage, causing the depressurization on each stage and rendering the vehicle non-propulsive. The root cause is being worked by the Antares launch failure Accident Investigation Board (AIB), which is being led by Orbital under the oversight of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The board includes former Space Shuttle Program manager Wayne Hale and other industry experts. Photos and further analysis at the link Posted by: 3dc 2014-11-05 |
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