Breeze M Failure Report Fight

[russophile]

Can anyone add information to this finger-pointing contest in Russia?<br /><br />The commission of the Russia’s Space Agency that is probing into Proton-M failure of Feb. 28 intended to make public the results past Friday. <br /><br />Even though the reason of the failure is known to the experts already, the commission has shelved the report for the seventh time in a row, as its experts cannot reach unanimous conclusion concerning the required actions to resume operation of Briz-M. <br /><br /><br />The sources say Briz-M failed on breakup of bearing in the S5.98 rocket turbopump assembly. The engine was made by Isaev Khimmash design center which purchased the bearing along with some other parts from "a third party."<br /><br />Khimmash has acknowledged the fault says the failure won’t happen again and Briz-M is ready for return to flight now. The experts at Khrunichev Space Center think differently and are pressing for more testing S5.98 before launching Proton-M Briz-M. <br /><br />The delay results in huge losses for Khrunichev. The Proton-M that was to launch Hot Bird 8 by using Briz-M will not be launched May 17. <br /><br />The cost of that launch exceeds $60 million.<br /><br />

 

[syndroma]

Ah, finger-pointing is the favourite game in Russia. I wonder why nobody still blamed Putin for the failure. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[mikejz]

Because you're forgetting the other favorite game of the Russians: Show Trials

 

[edkyle98]

The report was finally released today (4/25/06). (See it on space.com, at ilslaunch.com, etc.) It says that the problem was an anomaly in the LOX system, most likely a "foreign particle" that blocked a "nozzle of the booster hydraulic pump", causing an unplanned shutdown of the Breeze M main engine.<br /><br />No mention of where the "foreign particle" came from, but the bearing you mentioned might be a candidate.<br /><br /> - Ed Kyle