A fault in a nozzle triggered the failure of the European Vega C rocket’s second-ever flight, a fee concluded.
“Gradual deterioration” of the rocket nozzle — and extra particularly, surprising “overerosion” of a carbon-carbon (C-C) insert inside the nozzle — led to the loss of Vega C on Dec. 20, an impartial investigation fee stated right now (March 3) in a European House Company press release (opens in new tab).
“The standards used to simply accept the C-C throat insert weren’t adequate to exhibit its flightworthiness. The fee has due to this fact concluded that this particular C-C materials can not be used for flight,” the discharge added.
Maker Arianespace stated within the launch it will implement the suggestions of the fee and goal one other launch of Vega C for late 2023.
Associated: Europe’s Vega C rocket fails on 2nd-ever mission, 2 satellites lost
Vega C is a extra highly effective successor to the Vega, which first took flight in 2012. For comparability: Vega C can ship 5,070 kilos (2,300 kilograms) of payload to a 435-mile-high (700 kilometers) sun-synchronous orbit, in comparison with 3,300 kilos (1,500 kg) for the older rocket, according to Arianespace (opens in new tab).
The primary stage of the 115-foot (35-meter) four-stage Vega C rocket, known as P120C, labored simply positive after lifting off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Dec. 20, however the second-stage Zefiro 40 suffered the failure. Two satellites for Airbus’ Pléiades Neo Earth-imaging constellation had been misplaced within the incident.
The C-C insert on Zefiro 40 was procured from a Ukrainian firm known as Avio, and the fee stated investigators uncovered “a flaw within the homogeneity of the fabric.” Avio will put in an “rapid different resolution” with one other C-C materials, which ArianeGroup makes and which can also be used on the unique Vega’s rocket nozzles (just like the Zefiro 23 and the Zefiro 9.)
The lack of the Pléiades satellites on Dec. 20 delayed the completion of Airbus’ Pléiades Neo Earth-imaging constellation, which operates in sun-synchronous orbit (which means the spacecraft flies in an orbit preserving the angle of the sun constant on the bottom). The spacecraft had been known as Pléiades Neo 5 and Pléiades Neo 6 and collectively weighed 4,359 kilos (1,977 kg).
Earlier than the December failure, Vega C accomplished a July 2022 flight that successfully sent aloft LARES-2, a 650-pound (295 kg) satellite developed by the Italian House Company, in addition to six ride-along cubesats.
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a ebook about space drugs. Observe her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).