Planned Use Was As First Stage For Orbital Sciences Antares Rocket

A rocket engine built in Russia that was being tested for use as the first stage of an Orbital Sciences' Antares booster failed during testing last Thursday at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Orbital confirmed the failure of the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engine, according to Universe Today. There was reportedly extensive damage when the engine failed about half way through the 54-second test.

Orbital said in a statement that the test "terminated prematurely" at about 30 seconds, "resulting in extensive damage to the engine" during the test on May 22. No one was injured when the engine failed.

The AJ26 engine has launched three Anares rockets from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia with no anomalies, Orbital said. The engines were built by the Russians and designated NK-33. They had been intended to launch manned missions to the moon for Russia.

It is not known if the failure of the engine will affect the next planned Antares launch of a Cygnus cargo spacecraft to ISS on June 10.

(2011 AJ26 test file photo provided by NASA. Not failed test)

FMI: www.orbital.com