Commission probing Dnepr crash presents preliminary conclusions

The commission investigating the crash of the Dnepr launch vehicle in Kazakhstan in July has come to its preliminary conclusions regarding the cause of the accident, Kosmotras, the company responsible for the rocket's launch, said in a press release and reported by Interfax.

"The conclusions presented by the commission in its preliminary report indicate that the command system functioned without a hitch during the rocket's launch," the release reads.

The report continues, "A brief malfunctioning of the hydraulic gear of one of the combustion chambers of the first stage's engine unit is the reason behind the abortive launch. The cause of the hydraulic gear's failure has been established. The commission is preparing recommendations on how to repair this problem".

Source: Moscow Staff Writers, SpaceDaily.com

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