Hercules Aerospace Co. officials are investigating a flaw in the adhesion of 100 tons of rocket fuel to the graphite casing of the second segment of the Titan IV solid rocket motor.
Reports that the failure on a government-funded contract could cost $30 million are "highly inaccurate," said company spokesman Dave Nicponski. "There's no handle on any accurate figures."The failure comes just one month after Hercules officials announced the successful casting of the first motor segment. Using 300,000 pounds of propellant, it was the biggest cast yet at the company's new West Bacchus Works.
Company officials have no explanation for why the second segment wasn't successful but say the failure won't push back their delivery schedule.
"This anomaly will not affect the overall Titan program. Hercules has a plan to recover this delay and deliver on schedule," Nicponski said.
The flaw was discovered after the giant motor segment, the first motor system Hercules has built out of graphite, was cast Dec. 13 and 14. "There was an apparent lack of adhesion of propellent to the case, which was discovered," he said. "We immediately established a review board to ensure the segment and propellant were safe and to determine the cause of the problem."
The casing, and the motor propellant, which is highly flammable, remain in the casting facility. But Nicponski said the propellant has cured and workers aren't in danger. The company is developing a plan to remove the massive casing and dispose of the failed rocket fuel. "This is the back of the Baccus West facility where it is automated and robotized."
News of the bonding failure comes on the heels of last year's announcement that Congress purchased seven older, steel-cased solid rocket motors from another company, United Technologies. A fiery March 29 explosion at Hercules' $15 million fuel-mixing facility called into question production schedules for upgrading the Titan motors.
But Congress then assured Rep. Wayne Owens, D-Utah, that it would continue to allow future review of contracts. If Hercules made timely repairs of the mixing facility, the nation would consider buying more of the graphite solid rocket motors from the Utah company.
Hercules is a subcontractor producing three segments of the Titan rocket motor system for Martin Marietta, the prime contractor on the U.S. Air Force contract. Nicponski describes the Titan program as the workhorse for the Air Force's space program. It is used to launch unmanned payloads, such as military satellites, into orbit.
When connected, the three motor segments will form a single booster motor about 100 feet long and 10 feet in diameter. Two boosters will be strapped on either side of a single liquid-fuel motor with the payload container on top.