NTSB · Safety Recommendation
Safety Recommendation A-93-094
Recommendation
THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE NATIONAL AERONUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION: STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF INSTALLING AT THE WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY INDICATOR LIGHTS ON COMMUNICATIONS CONSOLES THAT ILLUMINATE WHENEVER AN INTERCOM CHANNEL IS IN USE.
Safety Issue and Context
ON FEBRUARY 9, 1993, ABOUT 0930 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, THE LAUNCH SEQUENCE FOR AN ORBITAL SCIENCES CORPORATION (OSC) PEGASUS EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE (ELV) WAS ABORTED BY THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) RANGE SAFETY OFFICERS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED LAUNCH CONSTRAINT. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, THE LAUNCH SEQUENCE WAS REINITIATED BY THE OSC TEST CONDUCTOR, AND THE MISSILE SEPARATED UNEVENTFULLY FROM ITS CARRIER AIRCRAFT. THE IGNITION AND STAGING OF THE PEGASUS AND ITS SUBSEQUENT DEPLOYMENT OF TWO SATELLITES INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT WERE ALSO UNEVENTFUL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE MISSION AND NO DAMAGE TO MISSION ASSETS.
Response History
March 10, 1998 · NTSB Correspondence · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
IN JUNE 1994, A 40-CHANNEL DIGITAL PROGRAMMABLE INTERCOM SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED AT THE WFF. THE SYSTEM HAS SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTED SEVERAL MISSIONS SINCE INSTALLATION. THIS SYSTEM DOES INCLUDE CHANNEL INDICATORS TO SHOW THAT A SPECIFIC CHANNEL IS IN USE. BASED ON NASA'S ACTIONS, A-93-94 IS CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."
June 16, 1997 · NTSB Correspondence · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
OUR RECORDS INDICATE THAT ALTHOUGH THE BOARD INITIALLY RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM YOUR AGENCY CONCERNING THIS RECOMMENDATION, WE HAVE NOT SINCE RECEIVED ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED. IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM YOU WITHIN 45 DAYS, THIS RECOMMENDATION WILL BE CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--UNACCEPTABLE ACTION."
January 24, 1994 · NTSB Correspondence · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
THANK YOU FOR YOU 9/8/93 LETTER INFORMING THE BOARD THAT THE ORBITAL LAUNCH SERVICES PROJECT OFFICE WILL IMPLEMENT A-93-94 THRU -96. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE KEPT IN AN "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE" STATUS PENDING THEIR IMPLEMENTATION.