Orbital Sciences Announces Discontinued Use of Russian Engines Involved in Rocket Explosion
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NASA(DULLES, Va.) — Orbital Sciences Corporation announced on Wednesday that it had gotten rid of the refurbished Russian engines that are believed to have caused the explosion of its Antares rocket last week.
Orbital, which lost its rocket and over 4,000 pounds of cargo for the International Space Station, said it will deliver all remaining cargo to the space station by the end of 2016 at no additional cost to NASA. The company believes the explosion was caused by a “turbopump-related failure” in one of the two engines. As a result, the engines, made in Russia, will no longer be used in its spacecraft.
Orbital also said it will go through with the introduction of a propulsion system upgrade earlier than the previously scheduled 2016 upgrade.
Orbital’s Chairman and CEO David W. Thompson called the company’s decision “decisive,” saying that they will “move forward safely but expeditiously to put our CRS cargo program back on track and to accelerate the introduction of our upgraded Antares rocket.”
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