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NASA launch service program investigators determined the root cause of two consecutive failures of the launch of a Taurus XL rocket in 2009 and 2011.
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Laurel Kornfeld
May 2, 2019
The Taurus XL rocket used for NASA's Glory mission in 2011 is ready for its unfortunate launch. Photo credit: NASA
NASA launch service program investigators determined the root cause of two consecutive failures of the launch of a Taurus XL rocket in 2009 and 2011.
According to NASA, the launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellite in 2009 and the Glory satellite in 2011 are due to falsified test results and certifications from the aluminum manufacturing company Sapa Profiles, Inc. ( now called Hydro Extrusion). .
During the two launches, the payload fairing, which surrounds the satellites as they ascend into the Earth's atmosphere, was unable to separate in order, preventing the two spacecraft from reaching their orbital destinations. destroy them.
Researchers at NASA's Launch Services Program have spent years investigating failures. On April 30, 2019, the Space Agency released an updated public summary of the findings of the investigation, which determined that the materials used in the payload separation system were defective. It was eventually discovered that the aluminum extrusions used were the root cause of the failure.
"NASA relies on the integrity of our industry all along the supply chain," said Jim Norman, director of the agency for Launch Services, in a statement from press. "We do our own testing, but NASA is not able to test each component again. That's why we require and pay for certain components to be tested and certified by the supplier. When test results are changed and certifications are incorrectly provided, the missions fail. "
The OCO's mission was to study atmospheric carbon dioxide, while Glory was supposed to improve scientists' understanding of the Earth's climate. Both were launched with the Taurus XL, a four-stage solid fuel launcher manufactured by Orbital Science Corporation. These failures resulted in the loss of more than $ 700 million and "years of scientific work," NASA said.
"It's essential to be able to trust our industry to produce, test and certify materials to the required standards," said Norman. "In this case, our trust has been seriously violated."
As a result of the investigation, which has been reported to NASA's Inspector General's Office and the US Department of Justice, SPI / Hydro Extrusion is expected to pay more than $ 46 million to the US Department of Justice. NASA, the US Department of Defense and various commercial customers for a "19-Year Program" in which hundreds of customers have obtained falsified certifications for SPI supplies.
SPI / Hydro Exclusion has also been suspended from its contracts with NASA. The Space Agency has recommended that the company be suspended from all federal government contracts.
Tagged: Stories from Glory Lead Observatory in Carbon Orbit Sapa Profiles Inc. Taurus XL
Laurel Kornfeld
Laurel Kornfeld is an amateur astronomer and freelance writer from Highland Park, New Jersey, who loves writing about astronomy and planetary science. She studied journalism at Douglass College at Rutgers University and earned a Graduate Certificate in Science from the Astronomy Online program at the University of Swinburne. His writings have been published online in The Atlantic, the blogs section of the journal Astronomy, the British Space Conference, the 2009 IAU General Assembly Journal, The Space Reporter, and in the newsletters of various clubs. astronomy. She is a member of Amateur Astronomers, Inc., based in Cranford, New Jersey. Particularly interested in the external solar system, Laurel made a short presentation at the Great World Debate 2008 held at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD.
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