Rocket Lab Figures Out Cause Of First Flight Anomaly
Rocket Lab Completes Post-Flight Analysis
“Rocket Lab’s investigation team determined the launch, named ‘It’s a Test’, was terminated due to a data loss time out, which was caused by misconfiguration of telemetry equipment owned and operated by a third-party contractor who was supporting the launch from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1. Four minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 224 km, the equipment lost contact with the rocket temporarily and, according to standard operating procedures, range safety officials terminated the flight. Data, including that from Rocket Lab’s own telemetry equipment, confirmed the rocket was following a nominal trajectory and the vehicle was performing as planned at the time of termination.”
I wonder if that third party firm has liability and if they had insurance for this sort of thing.
You’d have to see the contract. In their place, I’d have wanted some clauses about immunity if the system passed pre-flight tests. Also, the identified cause is often a bit of a best guess, and a good lawyer could have a field day with that.
Although, in this case, it seems pretty clear cut. If forward error correction in the real time telemetry was specified and they forgot to turn it on, that might not go well for them.
I’m gonna guess everyone involved wants to avoid lawyers at this stage. There probably aren’t dozens of other contractors to find in NZ to look after your range safety
In the early days there was no telemetry. The “wireman” sighted alng a wire that was set up in front of him roughly parellel with the planned trajectory. As long as the rocket followed the line, he called out “On the wire.”. If it went some other way, he would repeatedly say “Off the wire!” until eventually someone sent the destruct signal.
I forgot to mention that I learned this in “Some Birds Don’t Fly” by Gary Paulson, an absolutely hilarious but true collection of stories from the early space program.
https://www.amazon.com/Some…
Did they call this process “fly by wire”?
(Sorry)
Why is everybody making a big deal about this.? In the US, the ranges are operated by third parties and in the early days, range screw ups led to properly operating vehicles getting blown up. This is no different but only 60 years later.
And rocket science is just like other sorts of experimental science. When I was an undergraduate lab technician, a professor told me you couldn’t claim you were a “real” experimental physicist until you’d destroyed at least $50,000 worth of hardware.
So… the first stage rolling from the moment it lifted off the pad and continuing to roll at that rate throughout its flight was considered to be nominal attitude control for Electron? Interesting. I wouldn’t have guessed that a kerolox orbital launch vehicle would be spin-stabilized…
I don’t see anything in the story about rolling. Could you expand on this?
They said “nominal trajectory” not “nominal attitude control”. Potentially the attitude control system was able to maintain trajectory despite the roll?
It is unfortunate that the rocket was lost to human error, but it’s pretty unusual for a brand new platform to actually perform well enough to reach orbit on your first try. The first rule of spaceflight is that your first attempt always ends in tears, and they did pretty well considering that.
I’d say that a certain 3rd party vendor owes Rocket Lab a rocket…