January 30, 2007 – A Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket, carrying the NSS-8 satellite, exploded on the launch pad. The explosion occurred during main engine ignition. A Failure Review Board indicated that the failure was initiated in the liquid oxygen (Lox) turbopump section of the RD-171M main engine when a metallic object, lodged between the pump’s moving and stationary components, ignited as a result of friction-induced heat

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