Why Taurus XL failed
On 24th, February, a Taurus XL carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) failed to reach orbit. Managers want to confirm there will not be similar issues with Kepler’s Delta II.
Engineers are reviewing all common hardware between the Delta II rocket carrying the Kepler telescope and the Taurus XL launch vehicle. How will managers confirm there will be no similar issues?
Mr. Harrington explained that preliminary information indicated that the fairing on the Taurus XL did not separate from the rocket as planned about 10 minutes into the flight. The fairing is a clamshell structure that encapsulates the satellite as it travels through the atmosphere.
“An investigation is underway now to determine why this did not happen. The thrust of the remaining stage of the Taurux XL rocket was not sufficient to put the spacecraft into orbit because of the unexpected weight of the fairing that was still attached to it.
“A team is currently investigating the Kepler launch vehicle, a Delta II rocket, to determine if the two launch vehicles share common components. At this time, there are no concerns, but analysis continues,” Mr. Harrington noted.
— KSR
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