Author Topic: FAILURE: Proton-M launch with Telkom-3 and Ekspress-MD2 - August 6, 2012  (Read 109667 times)

Offline input~2

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"Source: Failure in the pressurized fuel path caused Proton failure"

http://www.ria.ru/science/20120813/722713743.html  (in Russian)

Sounds more like a tank pressurization line that failed, but the result was the same.
You're right; a more correct translation of the title of the article (according to a Russian friend) is:
"Source: Failure in the path of the pressurization of the fuel caused Proton failure"

Offline zaitcev

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Sounds more like a tank pressurization line that failed, but the result was the same.
Sources at NK said most likely it was a helium line folding at a bend due to lack of grommets. It was reinstalled at technical position due to unrelated issues, perhaps someone saved on a grommet or a cable tie.

Offline spectre9

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Not good enough if any of that is the case.

I'm guessing it's a symptom of high launch rates. Might need more people employed for quality assurance to keep the pace up and maintain reliability.

Offline input~2

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After some shuffling, the 4 objects have now been catalogued as follows by USSTRATCOM:
  • 38744                             TELKOM 3             2012-044A
  • 38745                              EXPRESS MD2     2012-044B
  • 38746                              BREEZE-M R/B     2012-044C
  • 38747                              BREEZE-M DEB     2012-044D

  • USSTRATCOM has now refined its description of 2012-044D, they  call it Briz-M tank
  • 38747                              BREEZE-M DEB (TANK)     2012-044D
  • « Last Edit: 02/06/2021 07:20 pm by gongora »

    Offline input~2

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    An article in Russian pointing at damage in an helium line
    http://interfax.ru/politics/txt.asp?id=260328

    The (failure review) Commission has to complete its work before August 16.

    Offline input~2

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    The head of Khrunichev space center, V. Nesterov, has sent out a letter of resignation...
    http://www.interfax.ru/news.asp?id=260627 (in Russian)       
    or
    http://www.ria.ru/trend/resignation_chief_Khrunichev_15082012/ (in Russian)               
    « Last Edit: 08/15/2012 01:05 pm by input~2 »

    Offline Danderman

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    The head of Khrunichev space center, V. Nesterov, has sent out a letter of resignation...
    http://www.interfax.ru/news.asp?id=260627 (in Russian)       
    or
    http://www.ria.ru/trend/resignation_chief_Khrunichev_15082012/ (in Russian)               

    The first of many heads to roll.

    Offline input~2

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    According to the head of Roscosmos, "the cause of the failure is of industrial character"
    He confirmed the "blocking of a pressurization line"
    http://www.ria.ru/science/20120816/724761607.html (in Russian)

    Edit: "blocking of a pressurization line in the APT"
    « Last Edit: 08/16/2012 03:45 pm by input~2 »

    Offline input~2

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    To follow-up on the 4 released objects identification, here is a picture during integration where the spacer is clearly visible and a representation of the respective sizes of Briz-M vs the APT.
    The 4 objects radar cross sections as identified by USSTRATCOM are as follows
    Object A: 8.4m²
    Object B: 4.2m²
    Object C: 2.2m²
    Object D: 4.4m²
    « Last Edit: 08/16/2012 04:44 pm by input~2 »

    Online Stan Black

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     How much separation is there between the Briz-M and the tank? Does it look like it used its four low-thrust engines? High pressure tanks are different to the low pressue tanks used to feed the main engine.

    Offline input~2

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    Anatoli Zak sent me this screenshot which shows there should have been five burns, not four as the official scheme showed.
    Anatoli Zak sticks with four planned burns in his webpage about the failure:
    http://www.russianspaceweb.com/proton_telkom3.html
    AFAIU the screenshot he sent you was for illustration of a five burn sequence  (that used for SES-5 launch) not related to this one.

    Online Stan Black

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    Anatoli Zak sent me this screenshot which shows there should have been five burns, not four as the official scheme showed.
    Anatoli Zak sticks with four planned burns in his webpage about the failure:
    http://www.russianspaceweb.com/proton_telkom3.html
    AFAIU the screenshot he sent you was for illustration of a five burn sequence  (that used for SES-5 launch) not related to this one.
     It is disappointing that they chose to remove all details from their websites of this launch. On their websites it looks like SES-5 was the latest launch.
    http://coopi.khrunichev.ru/
    http://www.space-center.ru/
    « Last Edit: 08/17/2012 02:31 pm by Stan Black »

    Offline Prober

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    Found today a Space.com write up on the Russian space program might be a good read.

    http://www.space.com/17155-russia-space-agency-rocket-failures.html

    2017 - Everything Old is New Again.
    "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant..." --Isoroku Yamamoto

    Offline Moe Grills

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    Found today a Space.com write up on the Russian space program might be a good read.

    http://www.space.com/17155-russia-space-agency-rocket-failures.html



    Will the Russian space program survive as little more than a military program for spy sats, with a rare domestic civilian comsat or weather sat launch thrown in now and then?

    What do the Russian people want from their space program?

    Do they want the Angara booster developed?
    Do they want to add hardware to the ISS?
    Do they want an improved manned spacecraft to haul 4-7 crew to the ISS?
    Do they want the Luna Glob mission to go ahead, restoring Russian deepspace capability?

    Offline patchfree

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    Found today a Space.com write up on the Russian space program might be a good read.

    http://www.space.com/17155-russia-space-agency-rocket-failures.html



    Will the Russian space program survive as little more than a military program for spy sats, with a rare domestic civilian comsat or weather sat launch thrown in now and then?

    What do the Russian people want from their space program?

    Do they want the Angara booster developed?
    Do they want to add hardware to the ISS?
    Do they want an improved manned spacecraft to haul 4-7 crew to the ISS?
    Do they want the Luna Glob mission to go ahead, restoring Russian deepspace capability?

    Yes. Angara will fly in 2013. A heavy rocket is hoped for "Vostochny"
    Yes. A new module in 2014
    Yes. The PTS is at the "technical design" stage
    Probably.
    http://kosmosnews.fr l'actualité spatiale russe en français

    Offline DeanG1967

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    After some shuffling, the 4 objects have now been catalogued as follows by USSTRATCOM:
  • 38744                             TELKOM 3             2012-044A
  • 38745                              EXPRESS MD2     2012-044B
  • 38746                              BREEZE-M R/B     2012-044C
  • 38747                              BREEZE-M DEB     2012-044D

  • USSTRATCOM has now refined its description of 2012-044D, they  call it Briz-M tank
  • 38747                              BREEZE-M DEB (TANK)     2012-044D


  • Do we know when they might reenter?
    [/list]
    « Last Edit: 02/06/2021 07:20 pm by gongora »

    Offline input~2

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    After some shuffling, the 4 objects have now been catalogued as follows by USSTRATCOM:
     
  • 38744                             TELKOM 3             2012-044A         
  • 38745                              EXPRESS MD2     2012-044B         38746                              BREEZE-M R/B     2012-044C         
  • 38747                              BREEZE-M DEB     2012-044D

  • USSTRATCOM has now refined its description of 2012-044D, they  call it Briz-M tank
  • 38747                              BREEZE-M DEB (TANK)     2012-044D


  • Do we know when they might reenter?
    SatEvo software used on the latest elsets indicates a first reentry in 5 years!
    (with F10.7 at 120)
    « Last Edit: 08/20/2012 02:48 pm by input~2 »

    Offline input~2

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    The 4 objects radar cross sections as identified by USSTRATCOM are as follows
    Object A: 8.4m²
    Object B: 4.2m²
    Object C: 2.2m²
    Object D: 4.4m²
    The 4 objects radar cross sections have now evolved to:
    Object A: 9.1m²
    Object B: 4.4m²
    Object C: 3.7m²
    Object D: 4.3m²

    Offline JWag

    Russianspaceweb is reporting that the Proton's third stage also "misfired".

    http://www.russianspaceweb.com/proton_telkom3.html

    Offline input~2

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    Object D has been renamed back to simply BREEZE-M DEB
    (without TANK nor ADAPTOR indication)

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