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From: lvron@earth.lerc.nasa.gov (Ronald E. Graham)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,sci.engr
Subject: The Ariane V36 failure (was Re: Ariane launches ON TIME! (again))
Keywords: ESA, Ariane
Message-ID: <1990Nov10.151130.29117@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Date: 10 Nov 90 15:11:30 GMT
References: <1990Nov6.192118.6012@cc.ic.ac.uk> <1990Nov9.145517.1891@cc.ic.ac.uk>
Reply-To: lvron@earth.lerc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Lines: 37
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4

I included sci.engr in this follow-up, hoping for some extra technical
insight.  The original posting was sent to sci.space and sci.astro.

In article <1990Nov9.145517.1891@cc.ic.ac.uk>, zmapj36@cc.ic.ac.uk 
     (M. S. Bennett) writes...

[From an article entitled "Ariane Returns to Business" by Neville Kidger...]

>     Arianespace, the company which markets and flies the Ariane launcher,
>has resumed operations following the loss of the V36 launcher in February
>1990.
>     The loss of the rocket - with two Japanese commercial satellites 
>aboard - was found to have been due to the presence of a piece of cloth 
>in the water supply line to one of the four Viking first stage engines. 

I've never been part of a failure investigation (thankfully ;-)) since I
joined NASA, so I don't know much about the procedure.  I hope someone can 
offer insight on the following questions:

(1) the failure was due to a piece of cloth.  How could this have been 
    isolated after the failure?
(2) what is the mechanism by which a piece of cloth was able to cause the
    failure?  By that I mean 
    - was the cloth of sufficient size/porosity to totally restrict water
      flow?  or did it have to be?
    - how is a piece of cloth able to be in the water line anyway?
    - what is the sequence of events leading to the failure, given the 
      presence of the cloth?
(3) how can Arianespace ensure no repeat of this mechanism/sequence of 
    events?

Please don't give any over-simplified answers like "they screwed up," or
"they need to look harder."  Unless (3) absolutely requires a very simple
answer.  I won't assume you know what you're talking about.  And, if there 
are some answers out there, I will gladly summarize.

RG - lvron@earth (or mars, or saturn - your choice) .lerc.nasa.gov