NTSB · Safety Recommendation
Safety Recommendation A-93-096
Recommendation
THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION: TEST THE OPERABILITY OF ALL RECORDING SYSTEMS PRIOR TO EACH LAUNCH FROM THE WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY.
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
NASA HAS STATED THAT THE REASON FOR THE LACK OF RECORDING ON ALL CHANNELS WAS A LACK OF SUFFICIENT RECORDING EQUIPMENT TO RECORD ALL CHANNELS, NOT A CONDITION OF INOPERABILITY OF ANY EQUIPMENT. SINCE THE LAUNCH OF PEGASUS/SCD-1, WFF HAS INSTALLED TWO 60-CHANNEL VOICE RECORDERS IN THE NASA COMMUNICATIONS ROOM, WHICH PROVIDE PRIMARY AND BACKUP RECORDINGS OF ALL VOICE COMMUNICATION NETS IN THE WFF RANGE CONTROL CENTER. BASED ON NASA'S ACTIONS, A-93-96 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.