Report via the LA Times saying that as early as 2008 Both Orbital Sciences Corporation and NASA new of the risks surrounding the use of the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engines on board the Antares booster. The piece goes on to say that due to the advanced age of the engines (Which are the refurbished NK-33 engines first used in the Soviet era N-1 rocket ) small cracks may form on the engine itself and may have lead to the catastrophic loss on 28 October, 2014 of the Antares booster and its Cygnus cargo craft carrying science experiments and supplies to the International Space Station. Orbital Sciences did indicate that the engines used on Antares that fateful evening did pass the firms rigorous inspection process. A full report is expected this year on the Antares Mishap. What this still leaves the reader with however is that there is a hole in US rocket engine design that needs to be filled with a domestic alternative for these mid range engines. A costly endeavor to be sure, but can we afford NOT to? - latimes/business/la-fi-nasa-rocket-failures-20150104-story.html#page=1
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 15:28:59 +0000
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