Posted on 07/27/2006 6:20:22 PM PDT by KevinDavis
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is implementing a series of design and process changes intended not only to prevent the corrosion problem that brought down the first Falcon 1 flight, but also to better automate the vehicle health monitoring and launch process, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk.
The low-cost orbital rocket was carrying the FalconSat-2 spacecraft for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force during its first mission, which ended 34 seconds after liftoff when the engine shut off prematurely. The launch attempt took place March 24 from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
A mishap board concluded that the likeliest explanation for the failure was a corroded aluminum B-nut that allowed fuel to leak and start a fire that resulted in a loss of pneumatic pressure and a premature engine shutdown (DAILY, July 24).
The B-nuts are anodized for corrosion protection, but the ones mounted on the outside of the engine panel saw considerable exposure outdoors at Kwajalein as a result of numerous technical delays that pushed the flight from an original target of Thanksgiving 2005 all the way to late March 2006.
(Excerpt) Read more at aviationnow.com ...
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