Facts and speculations about space issues in Voronezh
The whole previous week was marked by news about the Voronezh Mechanical Plant, engines for Proton, solder, which turned out to be worse than the required one, then more expensive than the regular one. In the media reports, there was some confusion, for example, I first found the story of the more expensive solder a journalistic mistake. Let's take a little look at what happened, especially since there are insights on the forums, and on Saturday the Voronezh Mechanical Plant, whose engines were withdrawn, was visited by Dmitry Rogozin, expressing his opinion on the open part of the meeting and on his pages on social networks.
Photo: Roscosmos
In December 2016, the usual firing tests of the second stage engine were carried out, apparently RD-0210/0211 for the Proton. The engine worked successfully, but according to the results of the tests after the tests it was found that it used the wrong materials. Initially, the media wrote that cheaper components were used instead of components containing precious metals, but in subsequent materials they clarified that solder turned out to be a problematic element, and, on the contrary, a more expensive grade with precious metals was used. As a result, it was decided to check the produced engines with the replacement of an unknown number of those who have the wrong solder. The FSB, the prosecutor's office and the Investigation Committee are engaged in the investigation, the director of the Vyksa Ministry of Labor formally quit on their own, but due to the “unsatisfactory performance and the quality of the products”.
Engine -0210/0211. Photo: VMZ
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On January 28, Dmitry Rogozin paid a visit to Voronezh, he stated in fairly vivid terms that he discovered social problems at the plant, finding in them a “source of sloppiness and indifference”, promised to “present all the honest people” of the solders who replaced the solder and ensure “stable orders” factory.
The trouble does not come alone - the cause of the loss of Progress MS-04 is the destruction of the third-stage Soyuz-U RD-0110 engine produced by the same Vyksa plant due to a “manufacturing defect”. Of the “workhorses” of the Russian space program, the Soyuz and Proton rockets, only the Soyuz 2.1b can fly now, with the RD-0124 on the third stage, also produced in Voronezh, but at another plant - KBKHA. The piloted Soyuz ships are displayed on the Soyuz-FG carrier rocket, at the third stage of which is the RD-0110, which is under suspicion, therefore rumors about postponing the launch of the Soyuz MS-04 from March 27 to the twentieth of April are not surprising.
If the named dates of 3.5 months do not change, the Proton will return to flights only in mid-May, which will give an unprecedented break in launches almost a year. Previously, even in the case of accidents with a loss of payload, flights were suspended for a maximum of 3-4 months.
At this official information ends, and begins couch analytics, insiders and conspiracy.
On the Global Adventure forum there is a user with the nickname "overheating", which seems to be related to Vyksa. I recommend reading the thread of the discussion from this post . So, he believes that the reason for replacing the solder is not theft or malice, but a common mistake. On the solder batch, the tag fell off, or something got mixed up, or someone was guided by the wrong version of the documentation. A rumor about a departed storekeeper is added here, and the new staff could have made a mess of something. To make it even more piquant, the head of RSC Energia, Vladimir Solntsev, in his commentary on the incident, speaks of old personnel who work "not according to the drawings, but according to their inner understanding." To me, the version of the error also seems more likely, do not forget about the razor Hanlon - “the world is not ruled by a secret bed, but by a clear mess.” Naturally, now, after interrogations by the FSB, the prosecutor's office and the Investigation Committee, if someone mistakenly stuck the wrong tag to replace the one that fell off, he is now not recognized for anything. And the promised draconian measures, though like many, should be complemented by other solutions. People make mistakes, always, everywhere and in any branch of their activity. And it is much more important to build a system in which mistakes will be routinely and qualitatively caught, than to organize raids on the guilty. And negligence must be fought not only by increasing control, but by taking care of people and maintaining their motivation. If, according to Rogozin’s promise, VSW’s salaries are higher than the city average, this will make for product quality more than all the investigators combined. For pennies, only indifferent and incompetent people will work, and all the smart ones will be the first to flee, noting that the responsibility for mistakes and marriage is not compensated by anything.
It is curious that forumchan-insider Overheating considers an inadequately strong reaction to the incident. According to him, more serious test accidents (seizure and explosion of the turbopump unit and burnout of the nozzle throat with a sharp deterioration in performance) did not lead to the recall of the entire engine batch. Given that, on testing with improper solder, the engine worked fine. Hence the conspiracy theories about deliberately inflating the incident grows in order to transfer the Vyksa Metallurgical Plant from the GKNPTs to them. Khrunichev subordinate RSC "Energy". This version is indirectly confirmed by the fact that NPO Energomash, whose management company is RSC Energia, will take part in correcting the problems of VSW.
True, these arguments or not, but the affairs of the Center. Khrunichev so-so. Production of "Angara" at Omsk PA "Flight" is delayed , the territory of Moscow production will be reduced, the company prosecution cases of theft, the Proton with such idle times and information in the media about the quality problems will be even harder to find commercial customers.
A multi-month investigation is better than an accident with a loss of payload, but with carry-over of start-ups, the chances of regaining first place in terms of their number this year are melting. According to the plan, in 2017, Roskosmos is expected to have 27 launches, January is almost over, and, conditionally, only the launch of the Soyuz ST-B from Kuru can be attributed to the Russian ones.
Against the background of this story, the December report of “Russia 24” about high technologies of space production from the same Voronezh Mechanical Plant looks tragicane.
But in reality there is no contradiction. Smart machines, laser welding, and cloud 3D design are used, and this is really cool. But the complexity of the space industry means that success determines the weakest production link. And until it is possible to make a system that generates a stable and universally high level of quality everywhere, the rockets will fall due to the departed storekeepers, missed mistakes and other seemingly minor causes.
Photo: Roscosmos
Official information
In December 2016, the usual firing tests of the second stage engine were carried out, apparently RD-0210/0211 for the Proton. The engine worked successfully, but according to the results of the tests after the tests it was found that it used the wrong materials. Initially, the media wrote that cheaper components were used instead of components containing precious metals, but in subsequent materials they clarified that solder turned out to be a problematic element, and, on the contrary, a more expensive grade with precious metals was used. As a result, it was decided to check the produced engines with the replacement of an unknown number of those who have the wrong solder. The FSB, the prosecutor's office and the Investigation Committee are engaged in the investigation, the director of the Vyksa Ministry of Labor formally quit on their own, but due to the “unsatisfactory performance and the quality of the products”.
Engine -0210/0211. Photo: VMZ
')
On January 28, Dmitry Rogozin paid a visit to Voronezh, he stated in fairly vivid terms that he discovered social problems at the plant, finding in them a “source of sloppiness and indifference”, promised to “present all the honest people” of the solders who replaced the solder and ensure “stable orders” factory.
The trouble does not come alone - the cause of the loss of Progress MS-04 is the destruction of the third-stage Soyuz-U RD-0110 engine produced by the same Vyksa plant due to a “manufacturing defect”. Of the “workhorses” of the Russian space program, the Soyuz and Proton rockets, only the Soyuz 2.1b can fly now, with the RD-0124 on the third stage, also produced in Voronezh, but at another plant - KBKHA. The piloted Soyuz ships are displayed on the Soyuz-FG carrier rocket, at the third stage of which is the RD-0110, which is under suspicion, therefore rumors about postponing the launch of the Soyuz MS-04 from March 27 to the twentieth of April are not surprising.
If the named dates of 3.5 months do not change, the Proton will return to flights only in mid-May, which will give an unprecedented break in launches almost a year. Previously, even in the case of accidents with a loss of payload, flights were suspended for a maximum of 3-4 months.
At this official information ends, and begins couch analytics, insiders and conspiracy.
Speculation
On the Global Adventure forum there is a user with the nickname "overheating", which seems to be related to Vyksa. I recommend reading the thread of the discussion from this post . So, he believes that the reason for replacing the solder is not theft or malice, but a common mistake. On the solder batch, the tag fell off, or something got mixed up, or someone was guided by the wrong version of the documentation. A rumor about a departed storekeeper is added here, and the new staff could have made a mess of something. To make it even more piquant, the head of RSC Energia, Vladimir Solntsev, in his commentary on the incident, speaks of old personnel who work "not according to the drawings, but according to their inner understanding." To me, the version of the error also seems more likely, do not forget about the razor Hanlon - “the world is not ruled by a secret bed, but by a clear mess.” Naturally, now, after interrogations by the FSB, the prosecutor's office and the Investigation Committee, if someone mistakenly stuck the wrong tag to replace the one that fell off, he is now not recognized for anything. And the promised draconian measures, though like many, should be complemented by other solutions. People make mistakes, always, everywhere and in any branch of their activity. And it is much more important to build a system in which mistakes will be routinely and qualitatively caught, than to organize raids on the guilty. And negligence must be fought not only by increasing control, but by taking care of people and maintaining their motivation. If, according to Rogozin’s promise, VSW’s salaries are higher than the city average, this will make for product quality more than all the investigators combined. For pennies, only indifferent and incompetent people will work, and all the smart ones will be the first to flee, noting that the responsibility for mistakes and marriage is not compensated by anything.
It is curious that forumchan-insider Overheating considers an inadequately strong reaction to the incident. According to him, more serious test accidents (seizure and explosion of the turbopump unit and burnout of the nozzle throat with a sharp deterioration in performance) did not lead to the recall of the entire engine batch. Given that, on testing with improper solder, the engine worked fine. Hence the conspiracy theories about deliberately inflating the incident grows in order to transfer the Vyksa Metallurgical Plant from the GKNPTs to them. Khrunichev subordinate RSC "Energy". This version is indirectly confirmed by the fact that NPO Energomash, whose management company is RSC Energia, will take part in correcting the problems of VSW.
True, these arguments or not, but the affairs of the Center. Khrunichev so-so. Production of "Angara" at Omsk PA "Flight" is delayed , the territory of Moscow production will be reduced, the company prosecution cases of theft, the Proton with such idle times and information in the media about the quality problems will be even harder to find commercial customers.
A multi-month investigation is better than an accident with a loss of payload, but with carry-over of start-ups, the chances of regaining first place in terms of their number this year are melting. According to the plan, in 2017, Roskosmos is expected to have 27 launches, January is almost over, and, conditionally, only the launch of the Soyuz ST-B from Kuru can be attributed to the Russian ones.
Against the background of this story, the December report of “Russia 24” about high technologies of space production from the same Voronezh Mechanical Plant looks tragicane.
But in reality there is no contradiction. Smart machines, laser welding, and cloud 3D design are used, and this is really cool. But the complexity of the space industry means that success determines the weakest production link. And until it is possible to make a system that generates a stable and universally high level of quality everywhere, the rockets will fall due to the departed storekeepers, missed mistakes and other seemingly minor causes.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/401045/
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