Space

Usaf Titan Launches Resume While Tests Continue on Shuttle Hardware

Early November last year saw the resumption of Titan 34D launches by the US Air Force, after an 18-month grounding. The suspension of Titan operations followed two successive failed launches from the Vandenberg AFB facility in Northern California. In both instances expensive strategic reconnaissance imaging satellites were destroyed, leaving the US DoD with only a single active KH-11 satellite in orbit. Both booster failures occurred during the initial phases of the respective flights, in one instance a main engine shut itself down, in the other a solid rocket booster experienced a major failure.

This series of failures which coincided with the Shuttle 51-L disaster led the USAF to completely overhaul its construction inspection, repair and in-flight monitoring procedures for the vehicle. Given the track record of the SRBS, it was decided to substantially increase preflight testing, with a new X-ray facility for Titan SRBS, which has recently been completed at Cape Canaveral. This facility will be used to verify the integrity of SAB segments after delivery by rail.

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