Boeing Says UT Engine Caused Rocket Failure

Boeing Co. said an engine made by United Technologies Corp. caused the May failure of a Delta 3 rocket and left a communications satellite in a useless orbit. A crack in the combustion chamber of the upper-stage engine, made by the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies, resulted in the second consecutive failure of a Delta 3 rocket, according to a Boeing report. The satellite was owned by Loral Space & Communications Ltd., which planned to use the device to provide television broadcasting for customers. Boeing cited Pratt & Whitney for “poor manufacturing process controls” in its report. The failure followed one in August 1998, when a Delta 3 rocket exploded for unrelated reasons and destroyed a PanAmSat Corp. satellite. “We’ve redoubled our efforts to ensure that everything is proper and back up to 100% mission quality,” Pratt & Whitney spokesman Patrick Louden said. On the New York Stock Exchange, Seattle-based Boeing rose 94 cents to close at $44.31, while Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies fell 88 cents to close at $55.88.