NTSB · Safety Recommendation
Safety Recommendation A-93-099
Recommendation
THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE ORBITAL SCIENCES CORPORATION: REQUIRE, AS PART OF ELV LAUNCH PLANNING DOCUMENTATION: COMPREHENSIVE PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED, CHECKLISTS FOR THE LAUNCH, INCLUDING A PROVISION FOR ENSURING THE CURRENCY AND CONSISTENCY OF EACH PARTICIPANT'S CHECKLIST DURING THE DRESS REHEARSAL FOR THE LAUNCH.
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 DEVELOPED NEW MISSION RULES & PROCEDURES THAT UTILIZE A SINGLE SET OF LAUNCH DOCUMENTATION (MCD & CHECKLIST) THAT ARE MAINTAINED & DISTRIBUTED BY THE OSC. THESE DOCUMENTS WERE UPDATED TO REFLECT CHANGES MADE BY THE MISSION TEAM AFTER EACH REHEARSAL LAUNCH UNTIL ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE LAUNCH WERE SATISFIED. BASED ON THIS INFO, THE BOARD CLASSIFIES A-93-99 "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."