The incident triggered rumors at a space news site on the Web and elsewhere, including speculation that the rocket and its satellite payload, the RVSN-40 satellite (which belongs to the Russian Strategic Missile Forces), were damaged beyond repair.
Zhiltsov set the record straight.
"I categorically deny the rumors (spread on the Internet) that the rocket and its payload were destroyed and any kind of fuel spill took place," Zhiltsov said. The payload was not even installed atop the rocket at the time of the test, he said, and the vehicle was not fueled.
What happened is that a control system error inadvertently turned on power that set off explosive bolts, releasing the shroud, he said.
The shrouds elements fell into an upper room of a service tower that surrounded the rocket during processing on the launch pad. During ascent, the shroud normally would separate from the rocket as it left the atmosphere.
The shroud, however, was punctured during the incident and irreparably damaged, Zhiltsov said. It will have to be replaced.
The first demonstrational lift-off initially was anticipated in September and more recently was set for Nov. 17 and then moved forward to the end of January 2000. Now it likely will occur no sooner than February, Zhiltsov said.
The Rockot's Breeze-K upper stage was shipped back to Khrunichevs Moscow plant for more testing. On Jan. 5, a group of Khrunichev experts will leave for Plesetsk to investigate the scale of damages to the booster.
Rockot booster profile
The Rockot booster is based on a retired two-stage ballistic missile UR-100NUTTKh, known to the West by its NATO classification as SS-19. Since 1960, Khrunichev Enterprise has manufactured hundreds of UR-100s, the most numerous in the Soviet ICBM fleet before they became the subject of reduction under the Russian-American arms control agreements.
Khrunichev converted UR-100 into a commercial launcher by adding the Breeze upper stage to a two-stage rocket.
To market Rockot internationally, Khrunichev entered into a joint venture called Eurocket with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, which successfully booked several commercial and scientific payloads.
Among the major Rockot payloads are:
- NASAs two GRACE satellites designed to compile a new model of the Earth's gravity field with unprecedented accuracy. Scheduled for launch by a single booster in June 2001;
- The QuickBird-2 commercial imaging satellite of the US-based company EarthWatch, with launch set for Nov. 2000;
- And at least six E-sat spacecraft for Franco-British constellation of communication satellites set for launch between Sept. 2001 and Feb. 2002.
Rockot and the Kazakhstan situation
Khrunichev's original plan for Rocket envisioned launches from both Plesetsk and the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility in Kazakhstan.
Russian Strategic Missile Forces conducted several test launches of the Rockot booster from a silo at Baikonur, which Khrunichev intended to modify to reduce acoustic loads on sensitive commercial payloads.
However, in July, Kazakhstan imposed a ban on Russian launches from Baikonur after Khrunichevs biggest rocket, a Proton, crashed, scattering debris over the populated areas of the republic.
The Rockot booster uses the same toxic propellant combination as the Proton, and Kazakh authorities asked Khrunichev management for assurances from Russia in case of the similar failure with Rockot.
Reportedly, behind the scenes, the Kazakh government also pushed for a share of profits that Khrunichev would make launching Rockot from Baikonur.
Soon after the Proton crash, Khrunichevs director Anatoly Kiselev was to report on Rockots safety measures at Baikonur during the meeting of Russian-Kazakh inter-government commission.
According to a source at Khrunichev, Kiselev stood up only to announce that the company would cancel its plans to launch the Rockot from Kazakhstan.
Earlier, Eurockot had booked several launches of communications satellites for Leo One, a Missouri-based telecommunications investment and management company.
Since the spacecraft has to be launched into a relatively low-inclination orbit, Baikonur is the only existing facility, from which Rockot would be able to deliver the payload.
Nonetheless, Theresa Jay, Leo Ones vice president of marketing, said Thursday that her company had no comment on how the accident might affect its plans to launch its payloads aboard a Rockot from Baikonur. The company will wait to see the results of the upcoming investigation, she said.
Taking into the account the bitter political struggle over Baikonur between Russia and Kazakhstan, it is safe to assume that Kiselevs announcement in July to cancel Rockot launches from Baikonur was more of a warning aimed at Kazakh officials than a final decision.
Rockot now will borrow from Angara family
Unlike the Baikonur facilities, Khrunichevs plans to launch Rockot from Plesetsk had been relatively trouble free until the recent accident.
The company paid for the renovation of the surface launch pad in Plesetsk, earlier used for the Cosmos-3M launcher.
According to Khrunichev, launch processing in Plesetsk entered its final stage during November and December, when the integrated tests of the booster and the launch complex were conducted. Only minor problems were discovered.
To accelerate the processing for the upcoming demonstration Rockot launch, Khrunichev intends to borrow an available payload shroud from the Angara 1.1 rocket family, a Russian launcher.
Angara is a prospective family of space launchers Khrunichev develops in cooperation with Lockheed Martin.
It is designed to replace the Proton vehicle, as well as allow Russia to access geostationary orbit from Plesetsk. Unlike the Proton, Angara rockets will burn non-toxic propellants.
Since the first launch of Angara 1.1 rocket is not expected before 2002, the borrowing of its payload shroud should not affect the launcher's maiden flight schedule, Zhiltsov said.
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