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.
“Mission Control”17 pages
96. ITOS:-E (WTR), 16 July 73, Response Mode 4T, Flight Phase 2: Pump-motor failure during second-stage bum at 490 seconds resulted in loss of hydraulic pressure, loss of attitude control, and vehicle tumbling. 100. Skynet IIA, 19 Jan 74, Response Mode NA, Flight Phase 4 and 5: Flight was within normal limits until impact point passed through Africa gate. During the second bum of the second stage, a short circuit in the second-stage electronics package resulted· in an improper spacecraft orbit. The satellite reentered the earth's atmosphere five days later on 24 Jan 74. 101. WESTAR-B, 13 Apr 74, Response Mode NA, Flight Phase 1: One solid-rocket motor carried to MECO, but mission was still a complete success. 102. SMS-A, 17 May 74, Response Mode NA, Flight Phase 1 and 5: Mission was a partial success, although low first-stage velocity resulted from a liquid oxygen pressure line failure, and a booster shroud that snagged before fully jettisoning. Apogee was some 1,767 miles below the planned· value, and well outside three- sigma limits. 130. ESRO-GOES, 20 Apr 77, Response Mode NA, Flight Phase 2.5 and 5: Due possibly to a short circuit in· the second stage or failure in one of the two explosive bolts that hold the stage 2/3 clamp band together, the third stage separated prematurely from the second stage while spinning at only two rpms instead of the normal 97 rpms. As a result, coning during third-stage bum resulted in a spacecraft apogee nearly 13,000 miles low, and far outside three-sigma limits. 134. OTS, 13 Sep 77, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 1: Core vehicle exploded at 57 seconds due to a burn through on the forward end of the #1 Castor IV motor. 155. DJr, 3 Aug 81, Response Mode NA, Flight Phase 2 and 5: Flight was considered a success, although a 260-pound deficiency in fuel loading led to a premature propellant-depletion shutdown of the second bum of the second stage and degradation of final orbit. The inertial velocity at SECO was 240 ft/ sec lower than planned. Final apogee was some 855 miles too low and well outside three-sigma limits. 162. WESTAR-V, 9 June 82, Response Mode NA, Flight Phase 1: Booster performance was low but mission was a success. Apogee and perigee were within three-sigma limits. 178. GOES-G, 3 May 86, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 1: An electrical short in a control circuit in first-stage relay box caused premature main-engine shutdown at 71 seconds. Vehicle then tumbled and was broken up by aerodynamic forces. RSO sent destruct at approximately 91 seconds. 9/10/96 144 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.