News Soyuz TMA-20 broken in a railway car while being transported to Baikonur

[SiberianTiger]

Damn!

Yesterday:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101005/sc_afp/russiausspace

– Tue Oct 5, 1:11 pm ET

MOSCOW (AFP) – A Russian Soyuz spacecraft due to launch in December suffered damage to its container in transit, its chief constructor said Tuesday in the latest hitch to the country's space programme.

Engineers spotted damage to the Soyuz TMA-20's transport container after it was shipped by rail to the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the president of the Energiya spaceship factory, Vitaly Lopota, told the Interfax news agency.

"When we put the ship on a stand to check it over before the launch, we discovered damage, but to the container, not to the ship," Lopota said.

"We will check everything, do more work on it and in December, I hope, we will fly on time," Lopota said.

The Soyuz is due on December 13 to transport Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and NASA astronauts Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli to the International Space Station (ISS).

The glitch follows a technical problem with undocking the Soyuz last month that forced the outgoing crew to return to the International Space Station for 24 hours. Their delay in landing was the first in a decade of Soyuz flights.

A source in the space industry told Interfax that the damage to the Soyuz container could require the ship to be sent back to the Energiya factory in the Moscow region.

"According to the results of the initial inspection of the damage, it cannot be ruled out that the ship will have to be returned to the factory," the source said. "A final decision will be taken in the next few days."

The head of the Russian space agency, Anatoly Perminov, will inspect the ship on Wednesday, Roskosmos spokesman Alexander Vorobyov told Interfax.

The December launch date would not be affected because there is a reserve ship, which is to be sent to Baikonur, Vorobyov added.

Today:

http://www.interfax.ru/news.asp?id=158582

A source says: damage of Soyuz TMA-20 spaceship are very serious.

Baikonur, Oct 6. INTERFAX.RU - the damage that manned spaceship Soyuz TMA-20 had been inflicted during delivery to Baikonur are "very serious", told Interfax-Kazakhstan a source from the Cosmodrome this Wednesday.


"As the overall inspection revealed, the ship has been damaged. They are very serious and require a large amount of repair works" - told us the informed person.

He also informed us that during transporting by railway the spacecraft is put inside a special car and if fixed in horizontal position by the tail harpoints and has a support on the extendable ramp in the area of joint between the orbital module and the descent module. "One of the fixing elements broke during transporting, which resulted in the entire spacecraft litarally falling down. It could also undergo lateral ocsillations when the car rocked on its way."

The source stated that the immediate result of accident was displacement of the bottom side of the descent module by 1.5 mm. "It's possible that the bottom was microfractured, but we can only analyze its condition at the factory. In conditions of Baikonur, doing such examination is very problematic".

Also, the cover of the ship's engine compartment is torn. Investigation of the onboard equipment's condition is yet to be done. Discovering additional damage is quite possible, told us the informed person.

Quoting specialists from the space industry, he stated that at least the descent modue will have to be replaced for the mission.

http://interfax.ru/society/news.asp?id=158500

Returning the spaceship back to the factory is as highly possible as it is undesired, because it puts to doubt possibility to send the next expedition to the ISS on December, 13th

A careless locomotive driver is blamed by Roscosmos for the incident:

http://www.pravda.ru/news/society/06-10-2010/1052374-souz-0/

At the part of route crossing Kazakhstan the locomotive driver was misdriving the train, which resulted in unacceptable loads on the container holding the spaceship inside the car, - told a Roscosmos representative.

 

[tl8]

Oh Dear. Hope everything works out ok.

Sounds quite serious too, I would assume heads will roll?

 

[SiberianTiger]

Sounds quite serious too, I would assume heads will roll?

<sarcasm>But look, we live in humane age.</sarcasm> The only reason someone's head would roll in Russia these days is when that one makes problems for his boss concerning some matter which is important for the boss. If only the current gov't had realized that the entire spaceflight thing is not just some inconvenient heritage they cannot find a suitable business model for (except GLONASS), I'd expect resignation of Perminov. But given the current atmosphere, I only expect some barking exchange between Russian and Kazakh officials (Roscosmos is clearly hoping to change the Kz a fee!) and, probably, some engineers working past their hour for fixing the problems, or trying to get the next Soyuz ready ahead of schedule.

Not sure about the reaction from American side if the mission rescheduling becomes necessary, though.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, the train driver could see some sanctions for his poor work, like a reduction in salary, but he could also get fired for this, at least in Germany, the rules for train drivers are very strict, regardless in which rail company you are employed.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Well, the train driver could see some sanctions for his poor work, like a reduction in salary, but he could also get fired for this, at least in Germany, the rules for train drivers are very strict, regardless in which rail company you are employed.

I'd first wait for a confirmation that some improper train driving really took place, and it was what has led to the incident. I'm not believing immediately whatever anonymous Roscosmos representatives say on matters sensitive at present moment.

 

[dougkeenan]

In America chances are he would be promoted.

 

[n122vu]

In America chances are he would be promoted.

I agree completely. He <speculation> probably got in a hurry, and as a result, perhaps was driving too fast, for example, to stay on schedule or even get ahead. </speculation>.

In America his ability to see the importance of on-time shipping clearly shows that he is well suited for a logistics management position, possibly making six figures.

 

[SiberianTiger]

I agree completely. He <speculation> probably got in a hurry, and as a result, perhaps was driving too fast, for example, to stay on schedule or even get ahead. </speculation>.

I've just pictured in my imagination a shuttle crawler's driver making the shuttle stack to tumble over because he wanted to deliver one on the pad ahead of schedule! :facepalm:

 

[N_Molson]

I remember another train accident this Summer that costed a Proton rocket... Looks like there's a serious problem with that railway ! Spacecraft are very precious things, not just gravel or livestock !

 

[Wishbone]

regardless of exact causes: What would you expect from a semi-privatised industry hauling life-critical cargoes of another semi-privatised and utterly deregulated industry? There used to be a rider on blueprints: "HUMAN LIFE DEPENDS ON THIS ITEM".

 

[Urwumpe]

I'd first wait for a confirmation that some improper train driving really took place, and it was what has led to the incident. I'm not believing immediately whatever anonymous Roscosmos representatives say on matters sensitive at present moment.

It is at least not unlikely. Such damages happen pretty often on train routes, but rarely on rockets, since only Russia and the USA use rail transport for rockets... and the USA also had their accident there.

If the tracks are badly maintained, driving beyond the speed limits, or even just ignoring the whispering of the track, is risking damaging the cargo... but still, if this is caused by badly maintained rail road tracks, the company is at guilt.

 

[orb]

Not sure about the reaction from American side if the mission rescheduling becomes necessary, though.

Space Daily:

...
The December launch date would not be affected because there is a reserve ship, which is to be sent to Baikonur, Vorobyov added.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Not quite completely, though:

http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=13005

Perminov said:

"This little slippage [of the launch date for Soyuz TMA-20] we will agree upon with our American colleagues, and this is a manageable question. However, this won't affect the overall schedule of launches.
As the technical head of Enegria V. Lopota asserted, the launch of the TMA-20 will happen with no more than 10 days delay. Therefore, we are still launching in this December." - concluded the head of Roscosmos

---------- Post added at 18:55 ---------- Previous post was at 18:15 ----------

Kazakhstan Railways deny responsibility for damage inflicted to Soyuz TMA-20:

http://rus.azattyq.org/content/baikonur_cosmodrome/2182569.html

«Состав был передан 30 сентября на станции Тюратам в 20 часов 40 минут российским железнодорожникам для дальнейшей транспортировки на космодром Байконур. При приеме-передаче литерного состава никаких замечаний и претензий в адрес «Казакстан темир жолы» не было», – опровергает Денис Курганников сообщения российских информационных агентств.
"The priority train was delivered to Russian railway personnel at station Tyuratam on September 30 at 20:40 for further transporting to Baikonur Cosmodrome. During the acceptance inspection of the priority train no notices or claims of bad service were put against Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (Railways)." - said representative Denis Kurgannikov in response to messages in Russian media about an assumed rough driving by a Kazakh locomotive driver resulting in damaging Soyuz TMA-20.

I told...

 

[RisingFury]

Kazakhstan Railways deny responsibility for damage inflicted to Soyuz TMA-20:

They deny? Gosh golly! What a surprise!

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Conflicting reports...

RIA Novosti: "Soyuz TMA-20 launch may be put off until 2011".

ITAR-TASS: "Soyuz launch with next ISS crew not to be postponed to 2011".

---------- Post added at 01:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 AM ----------

AFP: "ISS mission delayed after damage to Soyuz craft: director".

The next mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for December 13, has been delayed following "idiotic" damage to the Soyuz spacecraft, the mission director said on Friday.

"It is certain that there will be a delay. The start of the mission should be delayed by 10 days to two months," said Andreas Schon from the German Aerospace Centre.

"In the worst case it would be February. There was an idiotic logistical error," said Schon.

The Soyuz spacecraft was damaged during transport to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, according to Interfax news agency.

It was due to take Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Paolo Nespoli to the ISS.

Meanwhile, ESA director Simonetta Di Pippo reiterated the importance that the agency attached to co-operation with China, which has ambitious goals for space exploration.

"China is making a lot of efforts. We will find a way to co-operate," she said.

Di Pippo told reporters that ESA was aiming for a moon landing by 2020-2025.

----------

So, Russia makes one mistake, and ESA sees it as a need to partner up with China!

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.avia.ru/news/?id=1286521237

RKK Energia's head Lopota:

"There were problems with trasporting the vehicle, and this is why we have to replace the Descent Module (of the ship). We aren't making any attempt to conceal that" - said Lopota.

"The Descent Module will be sent back to factory. Another one, which was readied for use in Soyuz TMA-21, shall become the replacement. It will take some considerable time, and our specialists might not be able to prepare the TMA-20 for launch in this December" - he added.

"It's highly probable that the immediate cause of the incudent was improper transporting, but our inspection revealed that mostly at blame was corrosion of the upper beam of the container car. This beam is the detail to which the space ship is fixed to with amortization bolts. During the car's movement, one of these bolts got torn out of the beam. This lead to the ship's falling down and damaging."

http://www.inform.kz/rus/article/2310993

08.10.2010 / 14:06
ASTANA. Oct. 8. KAZINFORM / Muratbek Makulbekov /

As Kazakh JSC "Locomotive" press service reports, No violations in handling the train, which transported the Soyuz TMA-20 have been identified, according to the head of JSC "Locomotive" K. Talaspekov.

No breaches in the conduct of brake control of the train which carried the descent module of the Russian Soyuz TMA-20, were revealed after decoding of the locomotive's velocity measurer tapes.

President of JSC "Locomotive" Kadyl Talaspekov said: "Locomotives and locomotive crews are trained for the specific duties in accordance with the requirements of instruction for special freights. Brigades we use are formed from among the drivers of classes I and II, with experience of driving these trains on their serviced areas, and were agreed upon in due course."

It is noted that emergency braking was not applied for the train throughout the route, since the adoption of special train at the border and before handing it over back to Russian railroad services. The train was accepted by Russian counterparts without any complaints put forward.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Roscosmos PAO: "Soyuz TMA-20 to Fly in December".

The next mission to the International Space Station will take place in December, despite of the transportation damage to the Soyuz spacecraft, RSC-Energia president Vitaly Lopota told news media.
The Soyuz spacecraft was damaged during transport to the Baikonur space port in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, according to Interfax news agency.
It was due to take Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Paolo Nespoli to the ISS.

Roscosmos PAO.

 

[SiberianTiger]

The considered launch dates are December, 13th (as before the incident) and December, 27th.

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.roscosmos.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=13096

Replacement Descent Module for Soyuz TMA-20 is delivered to Baikonur

A spare DM was delivered to Baikonur for assembly with TMA-20.
Right now, the three modules are disjointed and are being prepared for assembly works. The cosmodrome teams are working in three shifts round-the-clock, being reinforced by RKK Energia personnel who accompanied the new DM on the trip.

Information:

1. Damaged state of the space ship and its transporting casing was detected during extraction from the container in the assembly building at Baikonur.
2. At present moment, about 30 Soyuz spaceships are being produced at RKK Energia plant. They are at different stages of completion. To replace the DM for Soyuz TMA-20, it was decided to use a descent module which had been fully completed and prepared for integration into Soyuz TMA-21, produced in accordance to Soyuz TMA spaceships class specification.
3. Launch preparation of TMA-20 is carried out by the schedule aiming for launch in mid-December of this year.
4. RKK Energia have rich experience of assembly and test works in the cosmodrome's assembly building conditions gained in times of "Soyuz", "Salyut", "Mir", "ISS" and "Energia-Buran" prorgams.

 

[N_Molson]

Another good thing with the Soyuz : you can exchange only one module if needed, not the whole spacecraft :thumbup: