NTSB · Safety Recommendation
Safety Recommendation A-93-097
Recommendation
The NTSB recommends that the Orbital Sciences Corporation: Require, as part of ELV launch planning documentation: Clearly delineated statements of authority for all parties and key individuals involved in the launch, including individuals (or positions) authorized to abort the mission, hold the countdown, or resume the countdown, following a hold.
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
May 9, 1994 · NTSB Correspondence · Orbital Sciences Corporation
THE BOARD NOTES THAT THE OSC HAS CLARIFIED & DOCUMENTED THE ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH MISSION TEAM MEMBER & INCORPORATED PERTINENT TEXT & A LAUNCH ORGANIZATION DIAGRAM INTO THE MISSION CONSTRAINTS DOCUMENT (MCD). THE MCD FORMALIZED CRITERIA & AUTHORITY FOR THE CHANGING OF A "NO-GO" STATUS CONDITION BACK TO A "GO" FOR LAUNCH, CLARIFIED GO/NO-GO CRITERIA, CLARIFIED CRITERIA AS "MANDATORY" FOR SAFETY AS OPPOSED TO "REQUIRED" (OPTIONAL) FOR MISSION SUCCESS, & FURTHER CLARIFIED THE AUTHORITY TO WAIVE "NON-MANDATORY" CONSTRAINTS. BASED ON THIS INFO, A-93-97 IS CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."