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
28. J-9, 20 Dec 60, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: No Stage-Ilignition due to failure of gas generator to start. 29. J-10, 20 Jan 61, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: No- Stage-II operation due to erroneous signal that appeared at umbilical disconnect. Impact some 420 miles downrange. 32. J-12, 3 Mar 61, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: Stage-II terminated prematurely after 54-second burn, apparently due to failure of pump drive assembly. Impact was 730 miles downrange. 34. J-15, 31 Mar 61, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 1: Booster shut down prematurely at 74 seconds. Missile subsequently tumbled and broke up. 37. M-1, 24 Jun 61, Response Mode 4T, Flight Phase 2: Stage II engine shut down prematurely after 12 seconds of operation due to loss of Stage II hydraulic power. Loss of hydraulic power occurred during Stage I flight, so failure led to loss of control of sustainer and vernier actuators, producing excessive missile motion and tumbling. 42. M-3, 7 Sep 61, Response Mode 5, Flight Phase 2: A transient in guidance computer at 218.35 seconds (SECO at 297.7 seconds) caused impact 20 miles short and 2.8 miles left of target. 45. M-4, 6 Oct 61, Response Mode 5, Flight Phase 2: A one-bit error in the W velocity accumulation caused impact 86 miles short and 14 miles right of target. 50. M-6, 15 Dec 61, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: Start signal for Stage II was not generated. Stage II did not ignite. 51. I, 20 Jan 62, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: Missile self-destructed, apparently after Stage 2 failed to ignite. A backup automatic fuel-cutoff signal was sent at 248 Seconds. • 53. I, 23 Feb 62, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: Missile sell-destructed, apparently after Stage 2 failed to ignite. A backup automatic fuel cutoff signal was sent at 240 Seconds. 56. N-1, 7 Jun 62, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: Sustainer engine performance was subnormal due to reduced oxidizer flow through the gas generator. RSO terminated flight after a prolonged sustainer bum. Impact only 1100 miles downrange. 58. N-4, 25 July 62, Response Mode 4, Flight Phase 2: After about 60 seconds of Stage II bum, a fuel leak between the thrust chamber valve and the injector resulted ·in a 9/10/96 158 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.