Scaled Composites accident update

[docmordrid]

Posted August 1, 2008.

Sounds like basic materials incompatibility; oxidizer vapors in direct contact with volatiles (oily contaminants?) and composites or polymers (the tank liner).

Link (PDF)....

[jabe]

Posted August 1, 2008.

Sounds like basic materials incompatibility; oxidizer vapors in direct contact with volatiles (oily contaminants?) and composites or polymers (the tank liner).

Link (PDF)....

Good find... I was curious when we would hear something.  It is surprising they still don't know what really caused the accident.  Lets hope nothing like that happens again!

Regarding the rocket motor itself, anyone know what stage the the rocket design stage is now in?  Have they been doing any testing at all?  I wonder how adding the metal liner affects the mass and overall efficiency of the motor.  Finding the root cause of the explosion is key to them but curious how losing a year of rocket design testing time affects their first powered test flight if indeed they haven't done any work since the accident.
jb

edit:
from here.

Rutan confirmed that the investigation was causing “a lot” of design changes for SS2. “We have not worked on SpaceShipTwo in a year,” he said, “because there’s a possibility that the propulsion system would be markedly different and we’d be building things that we would have to scrap.” He declined to comment on whether, in fact, SS2 will have a different propulsion system than originally planned, saying that details about any changes would be announced “in a different venue.”