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GenCorp says October rocket explosion due to debris in engine

An unmanned Antares rocket is seen exploding seconds after lift off from a commercial launch pad in this still image from NASA video at Wallops Island, Virginia October 28, 2014. REUTERS/NASA TV/Handout via Reuters

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - Gencorp Inc (GY.N) on Tuesday pushed back against comments by Orbital ATK Inc (OA.N) that blamed the Oct. 28 Antares rocket explosion on excessive wear in the bearings of its AJ-26 engine, and said its own probe found the root cause to be debris in the engine.

GenCorp spokesman Glenn Mahone said his company's independent investigation would be completed in about three weeks, but the bulk of the work had been done. He said Orbital's statement was "inaccurate and could be misleading."

He said GenCorp's investigation identified excessive wear of the bearings as the direct cause of the explosion that destroyed a rocket bound for the International Space Station, but further research revealed that the bearings likely wore out due to "foreign object debris" in the engine.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler)