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May 31, 2015
On May 29, 2015, Roscosmos Interdepartmental Commission investigating the failed launch of May 16, 2015 from Baikonur cosmodrome with Proton-M rocket carrying the satellite MexSat-1, reported the results of the investigations.
MexSat-1 satellite lost in the launch failure of May 16, 2015
The commission members (representatives of the customer - Roscosmos and the Russian Defense Ministry, the head of branch institutes and industrial enterprises) conducted an analysis of the manufacturing process of the Proton-M and its components, the process of acceptance, transport, training and testing, as well as telemetry and rocket-trajectory information .
CONCLUSION: The causes of abnormal termination of the flight Proton-M, the rocket failed at T+545 seconds due to a loss of structural integrity of an interface attaching a steering engine turbopump to the rest of the structure, which also led to the fuel line damage, according to the official conclusion on the accident.
Failure is constructive
Proton Carrier Rocket U-500 Description (Click on the image for enlarge)
According to the agency, the head of Roscosmos Igor Komarov directed GKNPTs Khrunichev and its branches to develop a plan of measures aimed to resolve the issue, including:
- To replace the material making up the shaft of the turbopump rotor;
- To upgrade procedures for balancing the turbopump rotor;
- To upgrade the attachment of the steering engine turbopump to the framework of the main engine.
The agency also announced that the investigation had revealed a number of problems in the management of the quality control issues within the wider industry and promised to develop a plan of measures to resolve them within a month. The launch date for the next Proton mission would be announced in June 2015, Roscosmos said.
ROSCOSMOS Press Release: http://www.federalspace.ru/21511/
Images, Text, Credits: Press Service of the Russian Federal Space Agency/Rianovosti/Gunter Space Page/ROSCOSMOS/Orbiter.ch Aerospace.
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