Updates Orbital Sciences' Cygnus CRS Flight 1 through Flight 8 updates.

[Donamy]

WOW

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

At least it didn't hit the launch tower. Or did it? :shifty:

I couldn't really tell...

Nope. The umbilical arm is intact, as is the flame director. Most noticeable damage was blowing off 2 of the 4 lightning rods. I guess the pad needs several months to repair, but if the Cape's SLC-17A got rained down by rocket debris in 1997 and didn't really got serious damage, then I think this pad will be fine by early next year.

What matters most is what happened with those AJ-26s. You got another investigation obstacle that you really don't have too much data of how the engines were originally put up in the 1970s, and how much toll was done over the past 40 years.... :facepalm:

 

[Donamy]

one blew up in June

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Little OT: The US media coverage (especially CNN) is absolutely dreadful of this. CNN is carrying the story as "rocket with classified equipment explodes." So p*ssed that I had to turn off the television.

Well to be fair, they also asked the wrong people to comment on this. Mark Kelly was asked and wrongly thought that this one uses the RD-180 (!), "the same one used by ULA" and also that it had flew "hundreds, if not thousands of times" (thinking of the RD-0107/8 on the Soyuz?). Whoops.

(well, he probably didn't know that both engines he mistakenly thought of are flying in the next hours. Don't jinx them or their partners! :uhh

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Orbital has just posted their official statement on their website.

http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/Orb-3/

:facts:

 

[DaveS]

Nope. The umbilical arm is intact, as is the flame director. Most noticeable damage was blowing off 2 of the 4 lightning rods. I guess the pad needs several months to repair, but if the Cape's SLC-17A got rained down by rocket debris in 1997 and didn't really got serious damage, then I think this pad will be fine by early next year.

That was different by a mile. On that occasion the vehicle exploded completely mid-air sending all the debris away from the pad. In this case, the vehicle lost thrust and exploded upon ground contact like an aircraft dropped bomb.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

That was different by a mile. On that occasion the vehicle exploded completely mid-air sending all the debris away from the pad. In this case, the vehicle lost thrust and exploded upon ground contact like an aircraft dropped bomb.

Yeah. Maybe I should have talked about SLC-36A that nearly was leveled when the 5th Atlas-Centaur blew up on the pad in 1965. IIRC it was rebuilt within a year? (with 36B accelerated to be completed even before that to keep the test flight and Surveyor programs running - of course those were different days)

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Was any sort of report released for the test stand failure of the AJ26 at Stennis back in May? I vaguely recall that it exploded in some manner, but it was dismissed as it was being operated outside of the normal operating envelope of the engine and so it didn't cause any flight delays. I can't seem to find too much on this.

 

[DaveS]

Was any sort of report released for the test stand failure of the AJ26 at Stennis back in May? I vaguely recall that it exploded in some manner, but it was dismissed as it was being operated outside of the normal operating envelope of the engine and so it didn't cause any flight delays. I can't seem to find too much on this.

No report released and it did delay the Antares/Cygnus Orb-2 flight by a couple of weeks.

 

[Codz]

So, what is the expected effect on future Orbital contracts?

 

[DaveS]

So, what is the expected effect on future Orbital contracts?

Unknown at this time. But my guess would be no effect at all.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Press conference keeps moving back. Might start in a minute, or in 15... or more.

Edit: "Briefing pushed to 9:00. Doing linkup and sound checks now"
https://twitter.com/FanciFlautist/status/527261703067955202

---------- Post added at 07:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------

Check NASA TV. Conference set to start in five minutes and from what I can tell it will be on NASA TV.

 

[Screamer7]

It looks like a mini nuke had gone off at the launch pad.:blink:
Is there any toxic risk from the smoke and fire after the explosion?

 

[Donamy]

It looks like a mini nuke had gone off at the launch pad.:blink:
Is there any toxic risk from the smoke and fire after the explosion?

I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

 

[Quick_Nick]

It looks like a mini nuke had gone off at the launch pad.:blink:
Is there any toxic risk from the smoke and fire after the explosion?

Probably if you get too close (much closer than anyone currently is). I can't find any info on this particular vehicle using hydrazine though.

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Is anyone watching the NASA TV now? Mine looks frozen...

 

[boogabooga]

Probably if you get too close (much closer than anyone currently is). I can't find any info on this particular vehicle using hydrazine though.

What about Cygnus RCS?

Anyway, I'm doubt that one would want to breath the combustion products of the solid upper stage.

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Is the press conference now? I can't see it.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Is the press conference now? I can't see it.

"Will Begin Momentarily".

---------- Post added at 08:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:14 PM ----------

On now.

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Got it. . . .