Rockwell’s Rocketdyne Unit Blamed for Failure of Satellite
General Dynamics on Tuesday blamed the launch failure of a $137-million satellite and Atlas-Centaur rocket in March on a loose screw inside an engine built by Rockwell International’s Rocketdyne division in Canoga Park.
The disclosure was the latest embarrassing setback for Rocketdyne. Just last week, NASA was forced to postpone the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor because the company failed to correctly document whether one of the spacecraft’s engines was space-worthy.
An investigation by General Dynamics into the failure of the Atlas-Centaur booster to reach correct orbit in March found that a regulator failed to control the flow of oxygen on a Rocketdyne engine.
The regulator failed, General Dynamics said, when an internal screw rotated out of adjustment because a set screw that was supposed to hold its position was not tight enough.
General Dynamics spokeswoman Julie Andrews said the satellite loss was insured by Hughes Aircraft, which built the satellite for the Navy and had purchased the launch service from General Dynamics’ Space Systems Division in San Diego. General Dynamics had insurance to cover the booster failure but took a $25-million pretax charge in its first quarter due to the loss.
After General Dynamics investigated the accident and reviewed quality procedures at Rocketdyne’s operation, it found that the company’s procedures were “sound,” Andrews said. But General Dynamics also determined that Rocketdyne performed some rework without detailed work instructions.
An independent review by retired Air Force official Forrest McCartney concurred with the investigation and the corrective actions, the firm said.
