Russian space companies Yuzhnoye and Energia each denied liability for the failure of the Sea Launch on 13 March, which left the first ICO Global Communications satellite in the Pacific (Flight International, 21-27 March).
The Sea Launch's flight computer shut down the second stage engine when it sensed the booster was not functioning correctly. Yuzhnoye says that the failure was not caused by faults in its engines, but by a problem with an Energia-designed computer. Energia has denied the claim, adding it is too early to determine the cause.
Yuzhnoye says that the computer failed to give correct commands to the second stage engines during the countdown, resulting in their shutdown 490s into the flight.
No other problems were registered during the launch.
Source: Flight International
