Sea Launch rocket blows up on pad

[rad]

Check out http://www.spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/nss8/status.html and http://www.boeing.com/special/sea-launch/current_launch.htm.

Not good news for D* keeping on schedule for more HD channels this year.

 

[charper1]

Depends; they usually shuffle the launch dates after an event like this, sometimes what we want gets bumped, sometimes they don't.

 

[navychop]

Was D* planning on using Sea Launch? Or you figure payloads may get moved to other platforms and disrupt schedules?

 

[rad]

My understanding was D10 was land launch (Proton) and D11 was SeaLaunch.

 

[jcrandall]

All personnel are safe and accounted for.

Let's at least take a moment to be thankful for this part. This could have been much worse.

 

[charper1]

My understanding was D10 was land launch (Proton) and D11 was SeaLaunch.

I concur; I think I also read that they were no longer going to use only one launch company/facility because of the last issue.

 

[Smthkd]

Here's the video guys! http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m313/Smthkd/?action=view&current=NSSExplosion.flv

 

[vurbano]

How badly is that launch platform vehicle damaged? Isnt that the real question?

 

[navychop]

Well, I'm no expert, but going by my Navy experience, I'd say it was heavily damaged. Probably out of service for months.

Is this the only launch platform they had?

 

[Peter Parker]

It si apparently the only one on site but I suppose that they could have contingency plans but I would guess that constructing a new one even if it is moduular would take awhile.

 

[Krapola]

Sea Launch Explodes During Liftoff; Status of Launch Platform Unknown

A Sea Launch Zenit-3SL vehicle carrying the NSS-8 satellite for SES New Skies suffered a catastrophic failure Jan. 30, exploding at liftoff. As visible on the launch video, the vehicle never made it off the floating launch platform.

Sea Launch did not comment on the status of the platform, saying only that the vehicle “experienced an anomaly today during launch operations. All personnel at the launch site are safe and accounted for.”

NSS-8, built by Boeing, was intended to replace NSS-703, but the loss of NSS-8 is not expected to have an impact on existing customers or revenues, SES New Skies said. NSS-703 will remain at 57° East and will serve customers until at least 2009, the company said. NSS-9, under construction at Orbital Sciences Corp., is scheduled for launch in 2009 to replace NSS-5, which then will replace NSS-703.

This was the first of six planned missions for Sea Launch in 2007. Other missions are scheduled for Thuraya, Intelsat, Hughes Network Systems, DirecTV and EchoStar.

Sea Launch will establish a Failure Review Oversight Board to determine the root cause of the explosion.

Please check Satellitetoday.com throughout the day for updates.

Access Intelligence, LLC * 4 Choke Cherry Road * 2nd Floor * Rockville, MD 20850 USA

 

[navychop]

Since it appears to have toppled and not lifted, I wonder if one of the hold down clamps failed to release?

I know, we can speculate fruitlessly forever. Any ideas as to how long before they figure out the likely cause? Do these things usually takes days or years?

 

[John Kotches]

navychop:

Weeks to a few months is my guess.

From what I saw on the video it appeared to drop straight down initially. I rewatched and it is a straight drop until the rocket is hidden from view by the exhaust.

Maybe primary engine failure? I'm not a rocket scientist but wouldn't a straight fll be caused by insufficient thrust to overcome the 1G pull exerted on the rocket?


Cheers,

 

[Peter Parker]

I am not sure that this helps much but Boeing has issued a press release saying that the extent of damages is still under evaluation. Not sure when we will hear anyting substantial.