From the Russian space website (pretty much official word) - launches to resume
Sea Launch accident investigation concludes
Published: 2007 March 14
A foreign object doomed the launch of the Zenit-3SL rocket, which exploded on its ocean-based platform on Jan. 30, 2007, a Ukrainian official said. The investigation commission, which completed its work on March 9, 2007, concluded that a foreign metallic object in the oxidizer turbopump of the Zenit's 1st stage engine was determined to be a culprit. Yuri Moshnenko, a representative of Ukraine-based KB Yuzhnoe, which built the rocket, was quoted by UNIAN news agency, as saying that the size of the object was not determined, however it could be as small as several millimeters and could enter the pump with the oxidizer stream.
The commission put forward recommendations for preventing a similar incident in the future and developed a schedule for the return to flight. According to Moshnenko, the next launch attempt from the Sea Launch platform could take place in the summer or fall 2007.
Moshnenko said that the commission saw no problems with the performance of the RD-171engine itself.
Here is the link to the site/article:
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/zenit_nss8.html
Sea Launch accident investigation concludes
Published: 2007 March 14
A foreign object doomed the launch of the Zenit-3SL rocket, which exploded on its ocean-based platform on Jan. 30, 2007, a Ukrainian official said. The investigation commission, which completed its work on March 9, 2007, concluded that a foreign metallic object in the oxidizer turbopump of the Zenit's 1st stage engine was determined to be a culprit. Yuri Moshnenko, a representative of Ukraine-based KB Yuzhnoe, which built the rocket, was quoted by UNIAN news agency, as saying that the size of the object was not determined, however it could be as small as several millimeters and could enter the pump with the oxidizer stream.
The commission put forward recommendations for preventing a similar incident in the future and developed a schedule for the return to flight. According to Moshnenko, the next launch attempt from the Sea Launch platform could take place in the summer or fall 2007.
Moshnenko said that the commission saw no problems with the performance of the RD-171engine itself.
Here is the link to the site/article:
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/zenit_nss8.html
