Russians trace Soyuz launch abort to faulty sensor

Russian investigators have traced the cause of a dramatic Oct. 11 Soyuz launch abort to a “deformed” sensor in a system that controlled the separation of a strap-on first-stage booster from the rocket’s central core stage, triggering a dramatic emergency escape for the Russian mission commander and his NASA co-pilot, senior managers said Thursday. Oleg Skorobogatov, who led the accident investigation, said the sensor was damaged during final assembly at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, adding the conclusion had been “proven and confirmed.” He did not say how the sensor was bent, only that it occurred during the rocket’s assembly. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 2)