Rocket launch error: Tragedy caused by screws!
Screws, a seemingly insignificant part, play a vital role in the field of rocket technology.
In September 2023, a rocket launch at the Jiuquan launch site was abnormal because of an operational error in a screw hole.
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1. Galaxy Power Aerospace Accident
On September 21, 2023, the Ceres-1 rocket emitted abnormal tail smoke over the Jiuquan launch site. Although Galaxy Power Aerospace Company had previously had 9 successful launch records, this time, they failed.
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2. Reasons behind the error
The Ceres-1 rocket uses a four-stage propulsion system. The reason for this launch anomaly was the carbon cloth layer on the nozzle of the first-stage solid engine. In order to fix this layer, engineers need to drill holes and use bolts. However, during the operation of drilling screw holes, the carbon cloth layer produced fine cracks.
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3. Consequences of launch anomalies
When the rocket is launched, the temperature of the nozzle is extremely high, which causes abnormal heat accumulation at the crack, resulting in the heat not being taken away normally and the temperature rising sharply. As a result, the first-stage engine had an abnormality and the rocket deviated from its orbit.
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4. Zeroing: Respect and awe in the aerospace field
For the aerospace field, the word "zeroing" is full of awe. It means that whenever a problem is found, all related production processes must be restarted to ensure that all problems are solved.
5. China's "zeroing" standard for aerospace
There are five "zeroing" standards for China's aerospace: accurate positioning, clear mechanism, problem reproduction, effective measures and learning from one example. It is precisely because of such strict standards that China's aerospace technology has been able to make continuous progress.
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6. Screw accidents: not unique to China
Rocket accidents caused by screws are not only in China. In 2003, Lockheed Martin was moving a satellite, and 24 fixing screws were removed, causing a satellite worth $290 million to crash.
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7. Apollo 1: The cost of technology
The Apollo 1 spacecraft of the United States caught fire during testing because it used pure oxygen. The design of the hatch caused the loss of the lives of three astronauts.
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8. Challenger: Lessons from the Rubber Ring
The Challenger space shuttle explosion was caused by an aging rubber seal. Although engineers had warned before, this hidden danger was not taken seriously enough for various reasons.
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9. Roger Boyce Jolly's warning
Roger Boyce Jolly, an engineer at Thiokol, discovered the problem with the rubber seal six months before the Challenger accident and issued a warning. However, for various reasons, this warning was not adopted.
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10. The relationship between screws and safety
Whether it is the screw problem of Ceres 1 or the rubber ring of Challenger, they remind us that in the field of aerospace, every detail is related to safety. And the awe of technology is also the driving force that drives us to keep moving forward.
