Northrup Grumman (was Orbital Sciences) Antares / Cygnus

[ATC@LWSK]

That's the second Chris Anderson interview I've read with Elon. Best interviews ever. And I love Elon's other quote in that interview, the other rocket companies "optimize their ass-covering".

Have you read this interview with Elon from last month:

The Elon Musk interview on Mars colonisation – Ross Andersen – Aeon

This is one of the most fascinating and awe-inspiring interviews with Elon I have ever read!

 

[HVM]

Aviation Week article of AJ-26 fire in 2011:
Russian-Built AJ-26 Hardware Caused Test-Stand Fire

And May accident:
Fallout From AJ-26 Test Failure Remains Unclear

Cygnus in Space

Cygnus on ground?

(Orbital sure beat SpaceX in "booster fly back to the launch site" this time)

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/launch-pad-looking-south-after-failure.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/15662941355/sizes/o/ (Original size)

 

[c041v]

Great picture. Not much of the rocket left, although the pad itself looks pretty intact aside from the crater next to it. I suppose these rockets are mostly fuel with a bit of metal to hold it all together.

 

[Doug_G]

Certainly an engine failure looks like the most probable cause of the incident. There was a flash at the base of the rocket, then boom, then fall from sky, then big kaboom when the fuel tanks split open.

It could be the same failure mode... but I'm sure there are plenty of others.

 

[Botbldr45]

Nice pics and tweets....thanks for sharing!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Certainly an engine failure looks like the most probable cause of the incident. There was a flash at the base of the rocket, then boom, then fall from sky, then big kaboom when the fuel tanks split open.

The correct phrasing would, I believe, be "then the fuel tanks lose integrity (aka kaboom)".

 

[Doug_G]

Don't try to confuse me with all this techni-speak. "Earth-shattering kaboom" is the correct term.

 

[Grendal]

Don't try to confuse me with all this techni-speak. "Earth-shattering kaboom" is the correct term.

The many years of reading comic books have shown me that the correct way to phrase "Earth shattering kaboom" as BA-DA-BOOM! In capital letters.

KRAKKOOOM! Space Station supply mission in PODULE PRANG EXPLOSION CHAOS • The Register

I like the quote from the Orbital Team in the article.

 

[dpeilow]

Great documentary on the NK-33 here

 

[delanman]

Lanny posted his video from our excursion earlier.

As Lanny mentioned, I set up on day one at the NASA Visitors Center but it was too far to get a good shot. Lanny stopped at several places looking for the most optimal location and settled on Arbuckle Neck Road. I packed up and made my way to the new site. The first day was scrubbed due to a sailboat in the 'red zone'.

The weather held for the next attempt on the 28th. Here are my photos and video of that day.

Click on the image to go to the image galleries.



I'll also post links to photos of the Tesla Science Center event as soon as I find the correct thread.

 

[ecarfan]

@delanman, thanks, I clicked on your photo (which is spectacular by the way) but was unable to find the video you mentioned in your post. Link?

 

[delanman]

@Doug_G Engine failure may end up being the cause but look at this image. There is a jet of fire coming from the side of the rocket. They're going to have to explain this in the final analysis.

- - - Updated - - -

@ecarfan: When you get to my web site (by clicking on the first image - the second image is an artifact I can seem to delete) -- click on the first of three galleries. And then, once inside that first gallery, click on the first image.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I don't know - if you use a rocket engine that was built 35+ years ago, you really don't know what you're going to get.

 

[woof]

Does anyone else see a unicorn dancing in the flame duct? What a beautiful shot of an ugly event.

 

[Electroman]

Delanman's video is the best in terms if clarity and details I have seen among all the videos on the internet. I really wish his camera followed the rocket till it exploded.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Great documentary on the NK-33 here

This was a great watch, thanks for posting it. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the subject.

 

[HVM]

There is a jet of fire coming from the side of the rocket. They're going to have to explain this in the final analysis.

To me, it looks like normal lox venting +lighting.

And thank you for great photos and videos! You and Lanny both.

(And trust for Orbital's FTS. I would run immediately after the first sings of Antare's Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly. Ah the smell of Hydrazine in the evening...)

 

[dpeilow]

I don't know - if you use a rocket engine that was built 35+ years ago, you really don't know what you're going to get.

Well, if you strip them down, inspect them, x ray them, ultrasound, etc, then you really should have a good idea of their condition.

The question is, while the RD180 which was derived from the NK33 is an excellent engine whose record speaks for itself, maybe this design is too marginal.

 

[HVM]

And yet, they failed to find flaws in three of those engines. And what to do if they find problems? No one have build those engines last 30-40 years.

And Kuznetsov Design Bureau (NK) say they have no info what modifications Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR) has done to the engines. AR complain how hard it to get solid data from Russia. (It's not like just after collapse of USSR, everything is NOT for sale, especially know how to build rocket engines)

Russian engines are great when they work, but with problems there seems to be wall of ITAR politics or even language between manufacturer and user...

(Yes Jerry, I take it back, this is more worst than Fisker)

 

[HankLloydRight]

Nobody is manufacturing this engine anymore (although Aerojet has offered to work with Kuznetsov to restart production).

Maybe this is a naive question, but if people still want to use this rocket design, why can't Orbital or Aerojet basically copy the design and build their own version stateside? They have enough in storage to breakdown and know the science pretty well at this point, and technology and metallurgy have surely advanced since the 60's to improve on the design and performance specs.