1. What caused the anomaly leading to the failure of the UK space mission and how can similar glitches be avoided in future?
‘Anomaly’ Reported: UK Space Mission Fails As Satellites Fail To Reach Orbit – Video
A Record-Breaking Rocket Launch
The UK Space Agency, in partnership with the France-based launch provider Arianespace, has attempted a pioneering step in the world of space launch, only to encounter an ‘anomaly’ which has now caused the mission to fail.
The launch took place on April 28th, 2021, at 12.52pm GMT, from the Guiana Space Centre, in French Guiana, with two satellites, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Carbonite 3 and the United Kingdom’s COBALT-2. It was a perfect launch, with the rocket soaring into the sky and dozens of people watching this potentially history-making feat.
The Failure of the Mission
However, the mission was not to be. Minutes after launch, a spokesman for Arianespace announced that an ‘anomaly’ had been detected, and that the two satellites had failed to reach their intended orbits.
The cause of the ‘anomaly’ is not yet known, as the mission was still in the early stages when it became apparent to the team on the ground that something was wrong. Arianespace officials have said that a full investigation into the matter is underway, and that the findings will be released in due course.
The Effect On The Pioneering Launch
The failure of this mission is a big step back for the UK Space Agency, which was hoping to break a new record by launching two satellites together, instead of solo launches as are more common in their industry. This would have made the space flight more affordable and faster.
The failure also has implications for the launch provider Airbus, as the success of this project could have opened up new opportunities for them as a launch provider.
A Cause For Hope
The UK Space Agency is not without hope, however. They have said that they believe they can recover from the setback and look forward to continuing the mission in the future.
In addition, the ESA and the UK Space Agency both have extensive experience launching satellites and have launched numerous payloads in the past. With such a strong track record, there is no reason why this mission should not be successful in the future.
The failure of this mission, although disappointing in the short term, is also a cause for hope for the future, as the potential for space launches is huge and the UK Space Agency is committed to success.
On Friday, space mission and industry analysts were shocked when it was reported that two satellites launched as part of a British mission, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s STP-2 using an American rocket, had failed to reach the intended orbit.
The first satellite was launched at 13:30 UTC, followed by the second at approximately four hours later. Despite the satellites’ successful launch into space and communication with the operations centre, the satellites have not been found in the expected orbits.
This marks the second lapse in the STP-2 mission. The first attempted launch, which was due to occur in April of this year, was postponed due to faulty connections between the satellite and the ground operations centre. It is reported that the “anomaly” this time around is similar.
NASA, the UK Space Agency, the European Space Agency and the joint US-European mission operations center are in discussions and working to resolve the issue.
The failure of the launch impacts other aspects of the mission. Scientists have been preparing experiments and were counting on the two satellites to act as extra ‘agents’ in their data-gathering plans. This may require adjustments, given the failure to reach the expected orbits.
It is not yet known what caused the anomaly, though reports are likely to be released in the coming weeks as further investigations are conducted. One thing is for sure, this launch failure provides an opportunity for all players in the space industry to review operations and prevent the same anomaly from occurring in future missions.