Ukraine’s Govt Backlash Vega C Failure Investigation

The Ukrainian government backlashed the European investigators for holding the Ukraine company’s component responsible for the ‘failed Vega C launch’.

According to reports, Ukraine’s centre tagged the investigators as ‘premature’ and stated its blame was not acceptable.

The State Space Agency of Ukraine on Monday overtook the issue with the findings of an investigation published by the European Space Agency (ESA) three days earlier, arguing it caused a dwindle over the reputation of the Ukraine space industry.

The ESA however claims a component called a throat inserted in the nozzle of the rocket’s second-stage Zefiro-40 motor eroded more than expected causing a drop in pressure and loss of thrust in the second stage which doomed the launch.

It added the throat insert, made of carbon-carbon material intended to withstand high temperatures, was produced by the Ukrainian company Yuzhnoye and its higher porosity was not detected during earlier tests.

The Yuzhnoye manufactured component could no longer be used on the Zefiro-40, and Avio, the prime contractor for the Vega, ESA confirmed.

Commenting on the claims the State Space Agency of Ukraine stated that it “believes that the presented conclusions by the European space agency remain to be premature and requires further investigation to identify the actual cause of failure.”

Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of space transportation, said the agency was determined to cut short its dependency on suppliers outside of the agency’s member states for Vega.

We have significantly increased the European content on the rocket, finding suppliers for components such as tanks and thrusters in the country itself, Daniel added

The goal is to develop a ‘good European product from European industrial suppliers’, he said.