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November 11, 2023

EAA Comments on Passing of Apollo 8's Frank Borman

"Larger Than Life" Figure Beloved by Experimental Aviation

Jack J. Pelton, CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Experimental Aircraft Association, took a moment to comment on the passing of Apollo 8 commander and longtime EAA member Frank Borman on November 7, 2023. “As one of the major players within the Apollo astronaut corps in the 1960s, Frank Borman was a person who seemed larger than life as we followed America’s efforts toward a lunar landing. Frank’s accomplishments, especially the unforgettable moments during the Apollo 8 mission during Christmas time in 1968, puts him among the key figures in our nation’s spaceflight history."

Electrical Arc in Power Supply Shorted Rocket's 2nd Stage Motor Controllers

Rocket Lab USA has announced a return to launch operations after an operational pause following the loss of its 41st Electron mission in September. The September mission failed 151 seconds into launch, in a strangely ordinary phase of flight after successful liftoff, maximum Q, and both stage separations. The anomaly has been dissected and analyzed to find that "an unexpected electrical arc occurred within the power supply system that provides high voltage to the Rutherford engine’s motor controllers, shorting the battery packs that provide power to the launch vehicle’s second stage."