It is reported by chinese.chosun.com that South Korean Aerospace Research Institute has been kept investigating the second failure of the KSLV-T and recently they reached a conclusion: the defected bolt between the first and the second rocket engines is the determining reasons.
In 10th.june this year, KSLV-T started the second launch, but when 137s after it launched, it had been exploded. South Korea made the second rocket engine which carries the satellite and Russia made the first rocket engine which launches KSLV-T to the space.
On 19th, According to reports from South Korean Education Ministry of Science and Technology and Aerospace Research Institute, it shows that South Korean Aerospace Research Institute uses the computer to do the simulation test and miniature test, and then they reached a conclusion: one of the eight separation bolts which between the first and second rocket engines caused the accident.
The separation bolts was expected to explode 232s after KSLV-T launched in order to separate the first and second rocket engines. One of the separation bolts exploded prematurely because of electrical discharges caused the hole appeared at rocket engines, and then caused the explosion.
However,when KSLV-T firstly to be launched on Aus 25th,2009, there were not any problems about the separation bolts. So South Korean Aerospace Research Institute judged that maybe there were not any problems in design but in manufacturing process. South Korean Aerospace Research Institute also investigated the first rocket engine which made in Russia, and the conclusion is “no problem”.
In August this year, South Korean Aerospace Research Institute presented the above test result in the third meeting of Korean and Russian committee in Daejeon. Russia argued that the defected operation of Flight Termination System caused the launch failure. FTS was installed in the second rocket engine which made in Korea. It is a Michelangelo. When the satellite is out of safety track and going to dangerous zone, FTS could explode and stop the launch.
But in the Seminar on both sides Korea and Russia which was held in Moscow, last week, South Korean Aerospace Research Institute presented the test result which can proof that “if FTS had done some false operations, the possibility is very low.”
Korea and Russia plan that they would do the test together which would be basis on the findings of both sides. And October would be the soonest. If the test could proof that the separation bolts actually have any defects, It is possible for KSLV-T’s third launch next year.