Defects found in almost every single Proton rocket engine

The Voronezh Mechanical Plant has sent 71 Proton-M launch vehicle engines - or the enterprise’s entire second and third stage reserves - out for overhauling, said Energomash executive director Igor Arbuzov on Thursday.

The overhauled is expected to be completed by 2018. “At the same time, the main task is not to [interfere with] the Federal Space Program’s launch schedule, [which includes] launches that are in Russia’s [defense and commercial] interests,” he said.

The Voronezh Mechanical Plant is also in the process of overhauling Soyuz carrier rocket engines, said the Energomash head, as there may be foreign objects inside the engine parts.

According to Arbuzov, the Soyuz engines will be overhauled using a special accelerated technique that does not require cutting of the finished combustion chambers.

In January 2017, Roskosmos send all of its Proton carrier rocket engines to the Voronezh Mechanical Plant for inspection on suspicion that the engines were produced using a solder (a low-melting alloy used in combining less-fusible metals) that did not contain precious metals, which would stand in contradiction to the documentation that accompanied the engines.

In addition to the RD-0210/0211 and RD-0213/0214 engines, i.e. second and third stage Proton engines, the Voronezh manufacturing plant is also to inspect 11D55 (RD-0110) engines used in certain Soyuz carrier rockets. RD-0110 engines were recalled after the unsuccessful launch of the rocket Progress on December 1, 2016. The accident was attributed to the presence of foreign particles in the vehicle’s engine, as per an investigation.