Boeing's Starliner Launch Abort Engine Suffers Problem During Testing

Space.com ^ | July 23, 2018 03:34pm ET | Jeff Foust

[BenLurkin]

Boeing confirmed July 21 that there was an "anomaly" during a recent test of the launch abort engines for its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle that could delay a key milestone needed for the vehicle to be able carry astronauts.

The incident happened during a hot-fire test of the engines used by Starliner's abort system, integrated into a spacecraft service module. The static test, which took place in June at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, was a prelude to a pad abort test of the system planned for later this summer.

"The engines successfully ignited and ran for the full duration," the company said in a statement. "During engine shutdown, an anomaly occurred that resulted in a propellant leak."

Starliner uses a "pusher" escape system, with four launch abort engines mounted on the service module that can propel the spacecraft away from its Atlas 5 launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the pad or during ascent. The engines, which use hypergolic propellants and generate 40,000 pounds-force of thrust each, are provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Boeing didn't elaborate on the nature of the problem, but other sources, including social media postings several days before the official statement, claimed that a hydrazine valve in the propulsion system failed to close properly at the end of the test, causing the propellant to leak.

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It's unclear what effect this testing problem will have on the development schedule for Starliner, including the uncrewed and crewed orbital test flights of the spacecraft. Boeing said in its statement that it did not have any schedule updates for the test program, including for the pad abort test.

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Wright Brothers and Wernher von Braun had problems too. It’s baked into the cake.

[mabarker1]

Well that sucks. But better now than later.

[Secret Agent Man]

They gotta use hydrazine, eh? Couldnt find something more toxic to use....?

[GraceG]

[ They gotta use hydrazine, eh? Couldnt find something more toxic to use....? ]

No one thought to couple the electromagnetic force to the gravitational force for this little project either..

[ThunderSleeps]

...claimed that a hydrazine valve in the propulsion system failed to close properly at the end of the test...

Granted a fuel leak is not good, and hydrazine is nasty stuff but... As problems go, a valve problem is fairly simple and probably relatively easy to address compared to most of the things that could go wrong.

[bluejean]

Well hell, do they want it to launch or abort? No wonder they have a problem.