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.
“Lockheed”3 pages
240. 156D, 2 Mar 65, Response Mode 1 Flight Phase 1: At 0.36 seconds booster fuel- pump pressure dropped due to a fuel prevalve failure, booster lost thrust, fell back on launch pad, and was destroyed at 3.26 seconds. 251. 68D/ABRES (Tennis Match), 27 May 65: Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 1: A failure in the booster gas-generator loop resulted in decreasing booster performance after 116 seconds. The impact point stopped moving at 122 seconds when an explosion occurred in the thrust section. Further vehicle breakup occurred at 218 seconds. Destruct was sent at 293 seconds. Debris impacted close to the intended ground track. 257. SLV-3/Agena D (White Pine), 12 Jul 65: Response Mode 4 & 5, Flight Phase 2 & 3: Flight was normal until booster engines cutoff at 131 seconds. As a result of a circuit board failure caused by excessive vibrations, the sustainer also shutdown at BECO. The Atlas booster engines did not separate immediately from the sustainer, but did so some 50 seconds later after the event timer recycled. The Agena subsequently separated and ignited at about 198 seconds, creating wild uprange movements on the IP display by 255 seconds. Destruct was sent at 257 seconds. 267. SLV-3 (GTV-6), 25 Oct 65, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 3: The flight was a failure although all Atlas objectives were achieved. The Agena startup appeared normal, but the engine shut down after about one second of operation, Propellants ceased flowing but the helium pressurization system continued to pressurize the propellant tanks until they burst. 276. 303D (Eternal Camp), 4 Mar 66, Response Mode 5, Flight Phase 1: Although track and rate lock were lost at 88 seconds, missile appeared normal till about 112 seconds when skyscreen operator reported that vehicle was spiraling. A hydraulic system failure occurred during the staging sequence, resulting in loss of vehicle stability at 153 seconds and sustainer engine shutdown at 194 seconds. The impact point initially appeared to stop about 800 miles downrange, well beyond the booster impact point. At about this time or shortly thereafter, telemetry indicated rapidly varying pitch, roll, and yaw rates and shutdown of sustainer and vernier engines. Final impact was estimated to be 976 miles downrange and 3° left of the nominal track. 279. 304D (White Bear), 19 Mar 66, Response Mode 5, Flight Phase 2: The reentry vehicle impacted 82 miles beyond the target point when the head suppression valve failed to close at SECO. The LOX tank thus vented through the sustainer chamber, adding impulse in the process. 281. 184D (AC-8) ,7 Apr 66, Response Mode 4T, Flight Phase 4: Flight appeared normal until second Centaur burn. Both Centaur engines started but one could not 9/10/96 127 RTI
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Report, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 181 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.