The American company Orbital Sciences announced its intention to abandon the use of rockets engines Antares AJ26, created on the basis of Samara NK-33, because, according to preliminary data, the cause of disaster October 29 in Virginia became a problem precisely with the engine.
The company announced of the intention to correct a comprehensive plan to meet their contractual obligations under a contract with NASA to supply the International Space Station and to accelerate the modernization of the main engine Antares. Representatives of Orbital Sciences Corporation assure that all goods will be delivered to the ISS until the end of 2016 and did not require additional space agency costs. In the launch schedule will be amended.
As noted in a press release last week, the Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation has made significant progress in identifying the main causes of the disaster launcher. Analysis of telemetry data and video led to the conclusion that the most likely cause of the explosion was a rocket, “the failure of the turbo one of the two main engines of the first stage of AJ26 Aerojet Rocketdyne. As a result of the use of these engines to the vehicle is likely to be discontinued. The flights will be operated with a new propulsion system. In this case, apparently, the first few runs will be made with other launch vehicles.
Orbital CEO David Thompson said that the exact financial impact of what happened to the company will be determined later, after how the new plan will be approved starts. However, we can already say that significant damage is not expected, since the modernization of the propulsion system was provided Antares investment plans.
Space.com specifies that during the press conference stressed Thompson: data about problems with the engine booster preliminary and may change. In this edition reminds that Orbital recently came under a barrage of criticism for the use of engines AJ26, originally developed for the Soviet lunar program more than 40 years ago.
Now, the company is considering the launch of a space truck Cygnus with other launchers. As options are considered two American missiles and one European. Thompson refused to disclose the possible suppliers, but noted that not all companies have the capacity to send Cygnus to the ISS in 2015 and 2016. During this period, Orbital intends to five starts, but is now considering the possibility of sending cargo to orbit in four stages.
Note, the main competitor Orbital is a California company SpaceX, deliver cargo to the ISS using unmanned Dragon spacecraft and launch vehicles Falcon. Deal with SpaceX NASA estimated at $ 1.6 billion, the company has already implemented four of the 12 scheduled flights.
In Washington earlier insisted on the rejection of Russian engines
Earlier, the subject of wide discussion was possible failure Russian supply rocket engine RD-180 rocket launching Atlas-5 in the interests of the US military. Now rockets into orbit deducing American satellites, used engines produced in Russia. Missiles themselves making company United Launch Alliance – a joint venture aviagigantov Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The threat, voiced Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, on the backdrop of worsening relations between Russia and the US, which led to a revision of the joint space projects. So, Washington imposed a ban on the supply of Russian spacecraft in American production and those that use American components. Thus, the prohibition also included several European projects, including telecommunications satellites Astra 2G Luxembourg company SAS, Turkish satellite Turksat 4B and others. In response, Moscow hinted that Russia might abandon the ISS after 2020 in spite of the requests of partners, especially the United States, and also offered to send their NASA astronauts into orbit by a trampoline – after the collapse of the shuttle program alternative to Russian “Soyuz” is left.
The US State Department in response made assurances that the United States hopes to continue cooperation in the space sector. But NASA decided that do without Russian, that “it is very difficult to deal with, being weak.” As a result, the US Senate has allocated the first tranche to develop their own engines. According to various estimates, it will take up to six years and 1.5 billion dollars.
It is worth noting, United Launch faced with other problems in the procurement of the RD-180 is not associated with the political will of Moscow. In May, a federal judge banned for the transaction with the Russian “Energomash” because they allegedly violated US sanctions imposed against Russia because of the situation around Ukraine. To cancel the prohibition required consolidated efforts of the Treasury, the Ministry of Commerce and the US State Department.
As mentioned by the media, the true reason for the trial is not a policy, and competition. SpaceX decided to use a favorable political environment for themselves, to break the monopoly on launching military satellites, which now owns the ULA, and get your piece of the pie in the form of government contracts, promoting its own rocket Falcon-9.
NK-33 engines 20 years lying in warehouses before it took the Americans
Recall, the first stage of the rocket Antares is made in Ukraine (“Southern”, Dnepropetrovsk). It uses a modified Soviet rocket engines NK-33.
Originally, they were intended for use on the Soviet launch vehicle H-1 lunar program of the USSR. But in 1974, the program was phased out, production of NK-33 terminated. Engines for more than 20 years have lain on the Soviet / Russian warehouses before were in demand in the US.
In the early 90′s Aerojet contracted about 40 of these engines for use on US launch vehicles. After modification they got the name AJ-26. Between Aerojet and Orbital Sciences signed a contract to supply 20 engines NK-33 / AJ26 rocket Antares, 10 of which Aerojet has already delivered. Two of these motors were mounted on an exploding rocket. Earlier, in May this year, AJ26 engine exploded during testing at John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi NASA. Orbital Sciences and Aerojet have not explained the cause of engine failure.
The Russian experts have noted that, as in engine design changes are made, the American company has actually creates new products, bear the responsibility for which must Aerojet Rocketdyne and its customers.
Links:
American missiles with “Trucks” Sygnus blown up on start
// NEWSru.com // World // October 29, 2014
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// NEWSru.com // World // October 31, 2014
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// NEWSru.com // // In Russia, October 29, 2014
Without Russia: The Pentagon is preparing recommendations for alternative engines for US missiles
// NEWSru. com // World // October 1, 2014
The US government is asking the court to lift the ban on the purchase of Russian rocket engine RD-180
// NEWSru.com / / World // May 8, 2014
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