Turbopump in AJ-26 Engine Implicated in Antares Failure

摘要

Initial analysis of data from the Oct. 28 failure of an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket indicates that a turbopump in one of the two main engines on the rocket's first stage malfunctioned seconds after liftoff, company executives said Nov. 5. "Current evidence strongly suggests that one of the two AJ-26 main engines that powered Antares' first stage failed about 15 seconds after ignition," David W. Thompson, chief executive of Orbital Sciences, said in a conference call with financial analysts. "At this time, we believe the failure likely originated in, or directly affected, the turbopump machinery of this engine," he said, adding that more analysis was needed before the company could reach a definitive conclusion about the failure.