Russia`s Voronezh Mechanical Plant (VMZ) will reassemble 71 defective engines for the Proton-M launch rocket vehicles, that is almost all engines produced for the rocket`s second and third stages, according to Energomash Director General Igor Arbuzov, RIA news agency reported.
The official said the repairs will be conducted throughout 2017 and most probably into 2018, noting that the company will work to ensure that the deliveries of crew and equipment to the International Space Station continue according to the schedule.
”Work will be done to assess the cleanliness of internal cavities in all engines, while the probability of finding foreign particles there is not ruled out,” Arbuzov said.
As reported earlier, the Progress freighter crashed in Siberia early December after it failed to reach orbit due to a malfunction during third-stage separation.
A report by Kommersant said that all engines built for the third and second stages of the Proton rocket had been recalled, while a test showed that a key heat-resistant part made of the material containing precious metals had been swapped for cheaper variants during assembly.
