The launch appeared to be going perfectly - until the rocket

The launch appeared to be going perfectly - until the rocket

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Mojocvh

Original Poster:

16,837 posts

262 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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anonymous-user

54 months

Tuesday 28th October 2014
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Main engine at 108%............Boom

Oily Nails

2,932 posts

200 months

Wednesday 29th October 2014
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Just read on the BBC that this rocket uses Secondhand Russian built engines that have been "refurbished" to modern standards.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29812139
I can understand doing this for cost reasons, and of course these guys are actual rocket scientists not Arthur Daley, but when the do their fault analysis surely top of the list is "RUSSIAN LEFTOVERS"?

Eric Mc

122,021 posts

265 months

Wednesday 29th October 2014
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They aren't "second hand". With very few exceptions (the Space Shuttle's Main Engines for example), rocket engines tend to only get used once. These are motors that would have been built for Russian rockets but never got used. They have been made available on the commercial market and many American rockets now make use of them.

On the whole, the Russians build very reliable rocket engines.

There is a thread running in the science forum, by the way.