NASA's High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager spacecraft (HESSI) was damaged during a simulated launch shake test in March because of a misalignment between two units on the test stand, says an agency enquiry panel. A computer attempted to compensate for the misalignment but instead shook HESSI 10 times harder than planned, damaging its structure and three of the spacecraft's four solar arrays. NASA said the test stand had not been inspected regularly.

Source: Flight International