NASA reveals faulty materials led to crucial mission launch failures

NASA revealed that faulty materials provided a by manufacturer led to the failure of its missions in 2009 and 2011.

In its official blog, NASA explained that the cause of the Taurus XL launch failures of Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) and Glory missions in 2009 and 2011, when the clamshell structure failed to separate on command, was due to the faulty material by aluminium manufacturer Sapa Profiles Inc (SPI).

SPI has agreed to pay USD 46 million to the US government and other commercial customers in damages for running the 19-year scheme under which it falsified certification tests to hundreds of customers.