蓝色起源公司的新格伦火箭在发射台上爆炸

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蓝色起源公司的新格伦火箭在发射台上爆炸

内容来源:https://www.engadget.com/2183428/blue-origin-new-glenn-explosion-launchpad/

内容总结:

蓝色起源“新格伦”火箭发射台爆炸,NASA月球计划或受影响

美国东部时间4月12日晚,蓝色起源公司(Blue Origin)的“新格伦”(New Glenn)重型运载火箭在佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角太空军基地的发射台进行地面测试时发生爆炸。当时,公司正在进行为下一次任务准备的“热试车”(hotfire test),但测试过程中出现异常,火箭及其周围的结构和设备在爆炸中几乎被完全摧毁。

蓝色起源在声明中证实,所有人员均已安全撤离,无人受伤。公司创始人杰夫·贝索斯在社交媒体X上表示:“这是非常艰难的一天,但我们会重建需要重建的一切,并恢复飞行。这一切都是值得的。”目前,蓝色起源已启动事故调查,但爆炸的具体原因尚不清楚。

此次爆炸的发射台是蓝色起源为“新格伦”火箭准备的唯一一座专用发射台。据《纽约时报》报道,修复工作可能需要数月时间。

这一事故可能对蓝色起源参与美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的“阿尔忒弥斯”(Artemis)和“月球基地”(Moon Base)计划造成重大影响。蓝色起源此前已被NASA选中,为“月球基地一号”(Moon Base I)任务提供商业月球着陆器,用于运送货物和宇航员,这也是蓝色起源在竞标中击败SpaceX后获得的重要合同。然而,这些月球任务高度依赖“新格伦”火箭的发射能力。如今发射台损毁,NASA不得不重新评估相关计划。

NASA局长贾里德·艾萨克曼在X上发文称:“NASA已注意到今晚在卡纳维拉尔角36号发射台发生的异常情况。太空飞行是严苛的,开发新型重型运载火箭极其困难。我们将与合作伙伴一道,支持对此次异常的彻底调查,评估近期任务的影响,并尽快恢复发射。有关对‘阿尔忒弥斯’和‘月球基地’计划的具体影响,我们将及时通报。”

值得注意的是,蓝色起源此前刚刚获得美国联邦航空管理局(FAA)的许可,恢复“新格伦”火箭的发射活动。在第三次任务中,该火箭因低温燃料泄漏导致液压管线冻结,进而引发二级发动机推力异常,未能将有效载荷送入预定轨道。FAA在监督调查后于近期解除了对“新格伦”火箭的停飞令。蓝色起源随即开始筹备下一次任务,但此次爆炸显然将使发射计划大幅延期。

中文翻译:

蓝色起源公司的新格伦火箭在发射台上爆炸。该公司当时正在进行热火测试,为新格伦火箭的下一次任务做准备。蓝色起源的新格伦火箭在卡纳维拉尔角太空军基地的发射台上爆炸,当时该公司正在为即将到来的发射进行地面测试。该公司解释称,在一次热火测试中“出现了异常情况”,并会在了解更多情况后提供关于该事件的更多细节。该公司所有者杰夫·贝佐斯在X平台上表示,所有人员均已安全撤离并确认无恙。蓝色起源已开始调查,但目前尚不清楚爆炸的根本原因。“今天是艰难的一天,但我们会重建需要重建的一切,并重新恢复飞行,”他补充道,“这一切都值得。”

从上述爆炸画面中可以看到,火箭及其周围的结构和设备几乎被完全摧毁。据《纽约时报》报道,那是蓝色起源为新格伦火箭准备的唯一发射台,公司可能需要数月时间才能修复。

这一事件可能影响蓝色起源参与美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的阿尔忒弥斯计划和月球基地计划,根据这些计划,蓝色起源需要提供用于货物和载人任务的商业月球着陆器。NASA甚至在月球基地一号任务中选择了蓝色起源而非SpaceX,该任务原计划于今年秋季发射。蓝色起源的月球任务需要使用其新格伦火箭,但由于发射台现已无法使用,NASA可能不得不重新考虑其计划。

“NASA已获悉今晚在卡纳维拉尔角太空军基地第36号发射台发生的异常情况,涉及蓝色起源的新格伦火箭,”NASA局长贾里德·艾萨克曼在X平台上写道。“太空飞行是严酷的,开发新型重型运载火箭发射能力极其困难。我们将与合作伙伴合作,支持对此次异常情况的彻底调查,评估近期任务影响,并重新恢复火箭发射。在获得相关信息后,我们将提供关于阿尔忒弥斯和月球基地计划可能受到的影响。”

蓝色起源刚刚获得美国联邦航空管理局(FAA)的批准,可以再次发射其新格伦火箭。此前,新格伦火箭在第三次任务中未能将所携带的有效载荷送入轨道,FAA便将其停飞。该机构监督了蓝色起源的调查,并确定此次事件是由“低温泄漏导致液压管路冻结,进而造成第二级发动机燃烧期间推力异常”引起的。在FAA批准该公司再次发射新格伦火箭后,蓝色起源迅速开始为下一次任务准备火箭,但这一任务显然短期内无法实现。

英文来源:

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes on its launchpad
The company was doing a hotfire test to prepare for New Glenn's next mission.
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has exploded on its launchpad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station while the company was conducting ground tests for an upcoming launch. The company explained that it "experienced an anomaly" during a hotfire test and will provide more details about the incident when it learns more. On X, company owner Jeff Bezos said all personnel are safe and account for. Blue Origin has already started investigating, but it's too early to know the root cause of the explosion. "Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying," he added. "It's worth it.
As you can see in the footage of the explosion above, it pretty much obliterated the rocket, the structure and the equipment around it. As The New York Times reports, that's Blue Origin's only launchpad for New Glenn, and it could take several months for the company to repair it.
The incident could affect Blue Origin's participation in NASA's Artemis and Moon Base programs, wherein it's expected to provide a commercial lunar lander for both cargo and crew. NASA even chose Blue Origin over SpaceX for the Moon Base I mission, which it's hoping to launch this fall. Blue Origin's lunar missions require the use of its New Glenn rocket, but with its launchpad now out of commission, NASA may have to rethink its plans.
"NASA is aware of the anomaly that occurred tonight at Launch Complex 36 involving Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on X. "Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets. We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available."
Blue Origin has only just gotten clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to launch its New Glenn rocket again. The FAA grounded New Glenn after it had failed to put the payload it was carrying into orbit in its third mission. It oversaw the company's investigation and determined that the incident was caused by a "cryogenic leak that froze a hydraulic line and led to a thrust anomaly during the second-stage engine burn." After the FAA gave the company permission to launch New Glenn again, it quickly started preparing the rocket for its next mission, which will clearly not happen anytime soon.

Engadget

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