May 12, 1986

May 12, 1986

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Editorial

Another Misfire

By DONALD E. FINK

U.S. LAUNCH CAPABILITY

Shuttle Centaur Flight Safety Issues Threaten Launch Planning

U.S. LAUNCH CAPABILITY

Aerojet General Designs Booster With Single Cast Propellant

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1213
Editorial

Another Misfire

Launches of the NASA/McDonnell Douglas Delta, an old familiar booster which until May 3 flew 177 times with 11 failures and recorded a string of 43 consecutive successes, normally attract minimal attention. However, in the wake of the shuttle Challenger accident in January and the two Air Force Titan 34D accidents at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., the May 3 Delta launch took on added significance that attracted unusual attention.

By DONALD E. FINK

1819
U.S. LAUNCH CAPABILITY

Shuttle Centaur Flight Safety Issues Threaten Launch Planning

1819
U.S. LAUNCH CAPABILITY

Aerojet General Designs Booster With Single Cast Propellant

1819
U.S. LAUNCH CAPABILITY

Mercury Anniversary

Cape Canaveral—Approximately 300 pioneers of the first Project Mercury mission commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 15-min. suborbital flight May 5 in somber ceremonies at Launch Complex 5/6 here. Alan B. Shepard, the first American in space, marked the event with talks in Washington, D. C., and Los Angeles.
2021
DELTA 178 FAILURE

Delta Engine Shutdown Investigation Centers on Electrical Relay Box

Cape Canaveral—Investigators are focusing on a faulty relay box as the probable cause of the premature shutdown of a Delta first-stage engine and the subsequent destruction of the launch vehicle and its GOES weather satellite payload on May 3.

By Edward H. Kolcum

2021
DELTA 178 FAILURE

Atlas Centaur Launch

Cape Canaveral—Launch of an Atlas Centaur here carrying a FleetSatCom military communications satellite scheduled May 22 has been postponed for at least four weeks. National Aeronautics and Space Administration previously said the probability of a delay was high because the Atlas first-stage engine, the Rocketdyne YLR-89, has many systems that are similar to the first-stage engine of the Delta, which failed in a launch attempt from here May 3.
2223

Europeans Plan Eight Missions/Year for Ariane

2223
Europeans Plan Eight Missions/Year for Ariane

McDonnell Douglas Focuses On Source of Power Surge

By Keith F. Mordoff

2223
DELTA 178 FAILURE

Loss of Satellite Hinders Weather Forecasting System

Washington—Destruction of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-G) May 3 when Delta 178 failed shortly after liftoff seriously depletes the U. S. stock of geostationary weather satellites to provide weather data until the early 1990s.

By Theresa M. Foley

2425
DELTA 178 FAILURE

Spot-1 Imaging

May 51986 May 191986