Documents / Report
This final report, dated September 10, 1996, was prepared by the Research Triangle Institute for the Department of the Air Force's 45th and 30th Space Wing safety offices. Titled Modeling Unlikely Space-Booster Failures in Risk Calculations, it shows how rare Mode-5 failures, in which a rocket veers well off its intended flight line, are modeled in the DAMP risk-analysis program. An appendix lists Atlas, Delta, Titan and Thor launch and failure histories through August 1996.
From the source:Release of 2026-05-08 Incident: 9/10/96, N/A. This report describes the Modeling of Unlikely Space-Booster Failures in Risk Calculations, documenting historical launch failure modes and recommending corrective actions to address them using novel modelling techniques.
38. 20D (Able M, 26 Nov 59, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 1: Third and fourth stages and payload broke off about 47 seconds. Atlas flight was normal and second stage ignited properly after Atlas SECO. 43. 6D (Dual Exhaust), 26 Jan 60, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase .2 and 2.5: At 175 seconds, as a result of a full-scale positive yaw command generated for five seconds, the missile stabilized on an erroneous heading. When a range-rate flag was lost 20 seconds later, the differentiated range-rate data substituted for measured data corrected the erroneous azimuth by generating a full-scale negative yaw command. The substituted data resulted in slightly erratic steering and a premature VECO signal that was not acted upon The verniers were subsequently cutoff by the backup signal. 45. 29D (Midas I), 26 Feb 60, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2.5: Flight was normal· until firing of the retro rockets after Atlas separation. An explosion at this time, probably due to activation of the Agena inadvertent separation destruct system, destroyed both the Atlas vehicle and the Agena. 46. 42D, 8 Mar 60, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2.5: Flight was considered a success although failure of the vernier hydraulic system resulted in loss of attitude control during the vernier solo phase. 47. 51 D, 10 Mar 60, Response Mode 1, Flight Phase 1: Due to combustion instability, an explosion occurred in the Bl chamber before missile movement. Missile was destroyed at 2.5 seconds after 2-inch motion when main propellants ignited. 48. 48D, 7 Apr 60, Response Mode 1, Flight Phase 1: Missile was destroyed in launch stand during launch attempt, apparently due to combustion instability in the B2 thrust chamber. 50. 23D (Lucky Dragon), 6 May 60, Response Mode 3, Flight Phase 1: An inoperative pitch gyro caused pitch instability, and resulted in destruct at 25.6 seconds. 54. 62D, 22 June 60, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2.5: Vernier engines were cutoff by autopilot backup when guidance discrete was not sent. Impact was 18 miles long. 56. 60D, 2 July 60, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: Depletion of helium bottle pressure led to low sustainer and vernier engine thrust, and eventually early shutdown of engines. Impact was 40 miles short of target. 57. 74D (Tiger Skin), 22 July 60, Response Mode 5, Flight Phase 1: A pitchover rate that was 69% above the nominal rate resulted in vehicle breakup at 69.2 seconds. 9/10/96 118 RTI
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Report, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 181 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.