Department of the Air Force Report, 1996

Text

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A good illustration of a Mode-5 failure response occurred during launch of Prospector
(Joust) on the Eastern Range in-June 1991. The Joust consists of a single-stage Castor IV-A
solid-propellant rocket motor and a payload module. The "vehicle made a radical pitch-up
maneuver due to· aft-skirt structural failure at approximately T+14 Seconds." 121
The
vacuum instantaneous impact trace from the RSO console is shown in Figure 1. If the
safety officer had taken destruct action during the time interval from 18 to 25 seconds,
impact would have been well away from the flight line.
CYIER A
UNCLRSSIFIED
IP "AP 1
JOUST1761-R
r20SEC.
+
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I. 17B
RLTEP.
CNH!AVE53
SKIN
ON TRRCK
... .. . . .. . . ....
ON TRACK
1. D DELAY
~•
_._:,.--25SEC.
1 .II DELAY
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r1BSEC.
.::---,--­
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~-••••30SEC.
+· 12 CHEV
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.
15 CHEV
t
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•
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....
16.3 !iLO
19.7 5LO
!II .1 5HT
a. 1 RGT
32.2 SltT
15SEC.
Q.7 LFT
~ 1 LOU
~-2 LOIi
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78 HDG
625 VEL
2 ALT
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.......--..
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--•-=--.-,,,•'
CNTRAVE'i!
--.. --,
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ON TRRU
ON TRACK
I
I
0 0 5 DELAY I
' .
0.5 DELAY
f i
I
i
+
4 GREEN
Figure 1. Joust Impact Trace Showing a Mode-5 Failure Response
As still another example of a Mode-5 failure response, a guided Red Tigress sounding
rocket was launched from Pad 20 at Cape Canaveral on 20 Aug 91. Within a second or
two after clearing the launcher, the rocket made a near 90° right tum, and flew stably in
this direction until destroyed by the safety officer at 23.3 seconds. Pieces impacted
some two or three miles from the launch pad. This failure might have been classified
as a Mode-2 response if destruct action had been taken·shortly after launch.
9/10/96
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RTI