Debris blocking the main engine pipe of Long March 4B’s third stage led to its failure to place the CBERS-3 Earth observation satellite in December, according to China’s launch services provider.
China Great Wall Industry Corp (CGWIC) said the…
Debris blocking the main engine pipe of Long March 4B’s third stage led to its failure to place the CBERS-3 Earth observation satellite in December, according to China’s launch services provider.
China Great Wall Industry Corp (CGWIC) said the foreign object debris was “most probably generated from the launch vehicle pressurisation feeding system or the assembly process of the third stage”.
In response the group said it has strengthened quality management to perfect debris controlling techniques across production, assembly and testing.
CBERS-3, jointly owned by China and Brazil and reportedly worth US$250m, burnt up in the atmosphere after being placed into the wrong orbit on 9 December.
Brazilian space agency AEB is talking to its Chinese partners to bring forward the launch of the next satellite in the CBERS programme by a year to the end of 2014, when it will join CBERS-1, CBERS-2 and CBERS-2B.
The CBERS-3 spacecraft is not thought to have been insured.
