Space Systems Failures

by Harland, David M.

• ISBN13: 9780387215198
• ISBN10: 0387215190
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-05-31
• Publisher: Praxis

Summary

In the 1960s and 1970s deep space missions were dispatched in pairs in case one was lost in launch or failed during its journey. Following the triumphs of the Viking landings on Mars in 1976 and both Voyagers spacecraft successfully surveying the outer giant planets of the Solar System, it was decided by NASA to cut costs and send out just a single probe.Although Magellan successfully mapped Venus by radar, it suffered from problems during the flight. Then came the loss of Mars Observer, whose engine exploded as it was preparing to enter Mars' orbit because it was using technology designed for Earth's satellites and the engine was not suited to spending several months in space. Later came the high-profile losses of Mars Climate Observer and Mars Polar Lander - a consequence of the faster, better, cheaper philosophy introduced by Dan Goldin in 1993. Even the highly successful Galileo mission suffered a major setback when its high-gain antenna (also based on satellite mission suffered a major setback when its high-gain antenna (also based on satellite communication technology) failed to deploy fully, greatly diminishing the craft's radio transmission capabilities, forcing the ground crew to re-programme the on-board computer to enable it to fulfil its mission and provide stunning images of Jupiter and its moons.In Space Systems Failures, David Harland (here working with co-author Ralph Lorenz) describes the many quite fascinating tales of woe involving failures of rockets, satellites and deep space missions in his inimitable style, providing a unique insight into the trials and tribulations of exploration at the high frontier.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	9	(6)
Authors' preface	15	(2)
Acknowledgements	17
Part One: Launch vehicles
The missiles	3	(22)
The first space launcher	3	(1)
Thor	4	(2)
Atlas	6	(8)
The Titans	14	(4)
NASA's Delta	18	(7)
The Shuttle	25	(22)
Commercial satellites	25	(2)
A final Delta	27	(1)
The National Space Transportation System	28	(19)
Back to expendables	47	(24)
Titan shock	47	(1)
Spare part Deltas	48	(1)
Arianespace	48	(2)
Reinvigorated Atlas	50	(1)
Ariane 4	51	(4)
Delta II	55	(4)
Atlas II	59	(1)
Commercial Titan	59	(12)
Heavyweights	71	(26)
Titan IV	71	(6)
Proton	77	(9)
Japan's H-series	86	(11)
Lightweights	97	(16)
Black Arrow	97	(1)
Scout	98	(3)
Air-launched Pegasus	101	(4)
Athena	105	(3)
Taurus	108	(1)
Med-Lite Delta	108	(5)
Boom and bust	113	(22)
Booming prospects	113	(12)
Bust	125	(10)
The Chinese experience	135	(10)
The Long March	135	(5)
Squeezed out	140	(5)
The current crop	145	(32)
Ariane V	145	(6)
Delta III	151	(4)
A re-engined Atlas	155	(1)
The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle	156	(3)
Atlas III	159	(2)
Atlas V	161	(1)
Delta IV	161	(8)
Phasing out the Titan IVB	169	(8)
Part Two: Satellites and space probes
Failure and redundancy	177	(4)
Types of failure	177	(2)
Redundancy	179	(2)
Propulsion system failures	181	(30)
The difficulty of testing	181	(1)
Trials and tribulations	182	(20)
Making do	202	(9)
Attitude control system failures	211	(16)
A classic case	211	(2)
Sign errors	213	(5)
Gyro failures	218	(4)
Star tracker failures	222	(5)
Electrical failures	227	(38)
Power system failures	227	(4)
Battery failures	231	(5)
Electromagnetic interference	236	(8)
Communications failures	244	(8)
Component failures	252	(5)
Instrument failures	257	(8)
Environmental failures	265	(20)
The space environment	265	(1)
Radiation failures	265	(6)
Impact failures	271	(7)
Solar failures	278	(2)
Electrostatic discharge	280	(5)
Structural failures	285	(30)
Structural failures	285	(10)
Mechanism failures	295	(9)
Thermal failures	304	(11)
Failures on the ground	315	(20)
Construction failures	315	(2)
The hazardous ground environment	317	(10)
Testing failures	327	(8)
Operator and software errors	335	(12)
Operator errors	335	(7)
Software failures	342	(5)
Conclusions	347	(8)
False economies	347	(1)
Patterns of failure	348	(2)
Predicting failure	350	(2)
Final thought	352	(3)
Index	355