launch failure | Behind The Black

“The exposed production defect was accidental,” [the investigation] said, adding the reason may be qualified as an isolated case only after checking all available engines.

This suggests that the problem was an isolated error and that, once they have cleared the available engines, they can start flying relatively quickly.

Leave a comment engineering, ISS, launch failure, progress, Russia, Soyuz-U, spaceflight

If ISS becomes unmanned, the first test of Dragon will also be delayed

August 30, 2011 at 1:50 pm Robert Zimmerman Points of Information

More possible consequences if ISS becomes unmanned: the first test of Dragon will be delayed.

An unmanned ISS will also delay the first launch in February of Orbital Sciences Cyngus cargo vehicle, as this vehicle is like Dragon in that it requires astronauts on board ISS to control the robot arm that grabs and berths the spacecraft.

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A preliminary cause for the Russian launch failure has been found

August 30, 2011 at 9:19 am Robert Zimmerman Points of Information

Good news: The Russians have pinned down a preliminary cause for the Progress launch failure last week.

Solving this quickly appears essential, as the space station was not really designed to fly unmanned.

Past NASA risk assessments show there is a one in 10 chance of losing the station within six months if astronauts and cosmonauts are not onboard to deal with any critical systems failures. The probability soars to a frightening one in two chance — a 50-percent probability — if the station is left without a crew for a year.

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Progress freighter launch fails

August 24, 2011 at 2:31 pm Robert Zimmerman Points of Information

The launch of a Progress freighter to ISS today has failed, with the freighter ending up crashing into Siberia.

This is very bad news for the station. Everyone in the space industry knows that with the shuttle gone, it will be a challenge to maintain supplies to the station’s the six-person crew. Losing just one supply ship will strain the station’s supplies, if not now in the long run for sure.

Worse, this is the first launch failure of the Soyuz rocket that puts both Progress and manned Soyuz capsule into orbit in more than eleven years. The next manned crew is scheduled for launch on September 21. Whether this failure will delay that launch remains unknown.

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A Chinese launch failure today

August 18, 2011 at 2:49 pm Robert Zimmerman Points of Information

Another rocket launch failure today, this time by the Chinese.

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