↦ Newsroom Catalyst bed support structure failure ruptured thruster chamber at 15 seconds into burn test. No injuries; safety procedures effective. Root cause: stainless steel support inadequate for high pressure/temperature. Undecomposed HTP accumulated, building pressure. Redesigned support: high-temperature alloy with reinforcement ribs. Enhanced test procedures and instrumentation.
## Incident Summary
During a routine thruster test, the catalyst bed support structure failed catastrophically, rupturing the thruster chamber. No injuries occurred—safety procedures contained the incident. A 30-second burn test with a new catalyst formulation was underway when, at 15 seconds, the thruster chamber split open. Blast shields and personnel positioning behind protective barriers prevented harm.
## Root Cause Analysis
Disassembly revealed catalyst bed support structure failure. The stainless steel grid support cracked and collapsed under high pressure and temperature. Once the support failed, the catalyst bed fell apart. Undecomposed HTP accumulated in the chamber without contacting catalyst, building pressure relentlessly until chamber rupture.
## Contributing Factors
The support structure was insufficiently strong for actual operating conditions. Design was based on static pressure calculations that ignored vibration and dynamic effects. Stainless steel loses strength at high temperature—a critical oversight. A more robust, high-temperature material was required.
## Design and Procedural Improvements
The catalyst bed support was redesigned with a thicker, stronger structure made from high-temperature alloy with reinforcement ribs to prevent buckling. Finite element analysis verified the new design. Test procedures were reviewed and tightened. Additional instrumentation was added to detect problems early. Test duration for new configurations was reduced until safety was confirmed.