Launcher Caused Cryosat Failure
Russian Rokot carrying the Cryosat satellite. Image credit: ESA. Click to enlarge.
Following the failure of the Rockot launch vehicle during the CryoSat mission on 8 October 2005, the Russian Failure Investigation State Commission led by the Space Forces Deputy Commander Oleg Gromov announced the clearance of the launch vehicle for future use including launches for the Russian Ministry of Defence.
According to the analysis of the State Commission, the reason for the failure has been unambiguously identified: The failure occurred when the flight control system in the Breeze upper stage did not generate the command to shut-down the second stage’s engines. A set of measures is now being implemented to prevent a re-occurrence of the incident.
A detailed briefing of the findings of the State Commission to Eurorocket and its customer ESA will take place on 3 November 2005. A Eurorockot Failure Review Board will review the conclusions of the State Commission and will release its findings in the near future.
Original Source: ESA News Release
Recent Posts
Vera Rubin’s Primary Mirror Gets its First Reflective Coating
First light for the Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO) is quickly approaching and the telescope is…
Two Stars in a Binary System are Very Different. It's Because There Used to be Three
A beautiful nebula in the southern hemisphere with a binary star at it's center seems…
The Highest Observatory in the World Comes Online
The history of astronomy and observatories is full of stories about astronomers going higher and…
Is the JWST Now an Interplanetary Meteorologist?
The JWST keeps one-upping itself. In the telescope's latest act of outdoing itself, it examined…
Solar Orbiter Takes a Mind-Boggling Video of the Sun
You've seen the Sun, but you've never seen the Sun like this. This single frame…
What Can AI Learn About the Universe?
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become ubiquitous, with applications ranging from data analysis, cybersecurity,…