FAILURE: Sea Launch - Intelsat 27 - February 1, 2013 (0656UTC)

[Syndroma]

I have an impression that they already know which system failed. But for now, while the investigation into the root cause continues, they release information only about the systems which performed nominal. The control system and the engine nominally performed the flight termination maneuver - by ascending for the 20 sec, then going sideways and finally switching off the engine. The question is what triggered the termination. Insider on NK forum says something about the fuel supply line.

[pippin]

Oh no, not FOD again.... If you look up "lame excuses" in Wikipedia there must be a lengthy discussion about that one with specific mention of Zenith...

[Syndroma]

FOD would kill the engine. Maybe insufficient tank pressurization. Or pressure sensor failure.

[Syndroma]

Another version: failure of a hydraulic pump which feeds the first stage.

[Lars_J]

From my amateur POV, this looks more like a guidance problem (software or vectoring) rather than a thrust/propellant feed problem. But that is of course with the crappy stream as only evidence...

[Galactic Penguin SST]

How are the RD-171 (or the RD-180) powered for engine gimballing? On the Russian forums Andrey's sources told him that the hydraulic power source (?) regulating pre-start pressurization (?) and during flight the throttle valves (?) (the Internet translator isn't very clear) has failed shortly after liftoff, with the turbine speed decreasing sharply. (Pre-launch checks of it was normal) Sounds like when the pitch program was initiated the rocket pitched over....... 

[Syndroma]

Hydraulic pump is manufactured in Ukraine and is not tested with the engine.

[sdsds]

Some photos taken from http://www.lpre.de/resources/articles/18150155.pdf which possibly show the hydraulic pump (marked "BIM") and where it fits into the engine. This theory of the failure seems to say the flight control system recognized an impending failure in the BIM and successfully executed an abort procedure apparently designed to protect the pad and personnel. (In "figure 1" I think the BIM can be seen below and behind the raised left foot of the person ... ahem ... climbing on the engine.)

[input~2]

The rocket fell 4 kilometers from the platform in the opposite direction from the command ship. Debris have been found.
http://www.interfax.ru/russia/news.asp?id=288333

[Liss]

How are the RD-171 (or the RD-180) powered for engine gimballing? On the Russian forums Andrey's sources told him that the hydraulic power source (?) regulating pre-start pressurization (?) and during flight the throttle valves (?) (the Internet translator isn't very clear) has failed shortly after liftoff, with the turbine speed decreasing sharply. (Pre-launch checks of it was normal) Sounds like when the pitch program was initiated the rocket pitched over....... 

There is a separate power unit for TVC gimbals.
It's fed by kerosene flow which is said to stop.

[Nicolas PILLET]

Exact launch time is 06h54'59" GMT, according to Sea Launch.

http://www.sea-launch.com/missions-q11131-Mission_Overview.aspx

[gwiz]

Exact launch time is 06h54'59" GMT, according to Sea Launch.

Surely a typo for 06:55:59?

[LouScheffer]

From my amateur POV, this looks more like a guidance problem (software or vectoring) rather than a thrust/propellant feed problem. But that is of course with the crappy stream as only evidence...

Agreed (also as an amateur wathcing the crappy feed).  There is no sudden change in the length, or color, or alignment of the exhaust plumes that I could see.  And the time constant (a few seconds to develop) is consistent with no or insufficient vectoring.  A long thin object, pushed from the bottom, starting from an (almost) balanced state, will diverge slowly and then faster as gravity accelerates the divergence.  See any youtube video on smokestack demolition for an example. 

[Lee Jay]

From my amateur POV, this looks more like a guidance problem (software or vectoring) rather than a thrust/propellant feed problem. But that is of course with the crappy stream as only evidence...

Agreed (also as an amateur wathcing the crappy feed).  There is no suddenly change in the length, or color, or alignment of the exhaust plumes that I could see.  And the time constant (a few seconds to develop) is consistent with no or insufficient vectoring.  A long thin object, pushed from the bottom, starting from an (almost) balanced state, will diverge slowly and then faster as gravity accelerates the divergence.  See any youtube video on smokestack demolition for an example. 

Gravity can't do that to a rocket.  Look up the pendulum rocket fallacy.

[anik]

Surely a typo for 06:55:59?

Yes.

[Bubbinski]

This BIM pump - is it used on the Atlas 5?  Hoping there's no common failure point as I'll be in California for the LDCM launch.

[Prober]

http://ria.ru/science/20130201/920839804.html

likely to have been due to a failure in the control system, according to RIA Novosti source in the space industry.

got a feeling they are on to the problem.  Its the same Phobos Grunt again.  My question would be:  Will Russia double down and quickly launch again or run away from Sea Launch?

How is this related to Phobos Grunt? That Zenit launched just fine.

loss of control.....remember PG used a brand new controller.

But that was a different controller... Phobos-Grunt had some jury-rigged custom solution. Separate from the Zenit LV.

but suffered loss of control

No, it did not. The Zenit for the Phobos-Grunt mission worked nominally inserting the payload into the planned LEO parking orbit. The problem came when the modified Fregat upper-stage was supposed to ignite for its first intermediate orbit injection burn before executing the TMI burn.

It failed to ignite stranding PG in its initial parking orbit until it decayed and entered the atmosphere and was destroyed.

AFAIK, no real cause for the failure was ever really proven but there were plenty of theories put forth.

never said Zenit  used on PG had loss of contol......said PG had loss of control 

[owais.usmani]

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/zenit_2013.html

On the morning of February 2, a reliable industry observer posted a message on the web forum of the Novosti Kosmonavtiki magazine pointing at a Ukrainian-built 11L729 hydraulic pump also known as BIM for "Bortovoi Istochnik Moshnosti - Onboard Power Source " as a likely culprit in the accident. The BIM pump provides hydraulic power to a steering mechanism that tilts combustion chambers of the main engine of the first stage from their vertical position up to seven or eight degrees in order to steer the rocket in flight.

Monitoring data available from the ill-fated launch indicated that despite its normal operation before liftoff, the pump's turbine had quickly slowed down its rotation and then completely stopped. As a result, the rocket likely lost its ability to follow a prescribed trajectory and the flight control system shut off the engine some 20 seconds after liftoff -- enough time for the vehicle to reach a safe distance from the launch platform.

[Garrettishere]

I have an impression that they already know which system failed. But for now, while the investigation into the root cause continues, they release information only about the systems which performed nominal. The control system and the engine nominally performed the flight termination maneuver - by ascending for the 20 sec, then going sideways and finally switching off the engine. The question is what triggered the termination. Insider on NK forum says something about the fuel supply line.

I'm not sure how recently this was posted on SeaLaunch's website, but the FROB released this:

At approximately 11.4 seconds into flight, the Zenit flight control system detected an exceedance of a pre-programmed roll limit and responded appropriately with activation of the on-board thrust termination sequence, which is designed to ensure a safe outcome in the event of vehicle loss of control.

In accordance with the flight termination logic, RD-171M main engine thrust was terminated 20 seconds into flight, resulting in impact of the Zenit-3SL with the IS-27 spacecraft with the Pacific Ocean surface approximately 4 km from the Odyssey Launch Platform.

[Nicolas PILLET]

That's a picture of the 11Л729 that I took in Ukraine.