Russia has decided to ground its Proton-M rocket for three and a half months. The main purpose behind the decision is to check the rocket for its faulty engines after an accident last month involving a cargo ship crashing due to engine disintegration.
The Proton-M is a mainstay of Russian space program. The rocket is used for both commercial and military satellite launches. The rocket's engines are made in the same plant which made the engines for Soyuz as well.
Upon visiting the factory, Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin said that some workers at the factory were found faking documentation related to the rocket. He added, "It is lucky that it didn't end in an accident."
It was reported that some engine parts for Proton-M rocket were changed in favor of cheaper parts. The authorities have ordered the check of engines for potential technical shortcomings. The parts were mainly used in the second and third stages of the Proton-M rocket. All the second and third stage engines for the rockets have been recalled.
The Progress freighter, which crashed in Siberia last month, was carried by the Soyuz rocket. After enquiry, it was found that the disintegration of the third-stage engine caused the crash. The disintegration was caused by either an "assembly fault" or due to the introduction of a "foreign materials."
The accident resulted in the resignation of the head of the Voronezh factory. The reason for the departure was stated to be "unsatisfactory work and product quality." The authorities did not elaborate whether Soyuz rocket engines come under the preview of checks or the recall.
Currently, the manned space flights to the ISS are carried out by Russia only. Apart from grounding the rocket, the launch of the EchoStar-21 communications satellite has been also been delayed. The satellite was scheduled to be launched by Proton-M.