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BYEMAN ,t} 73 CONTROL SYSTE ••• 

FAILURE AND ANOMOLY CHRONOLOGY SINCE JULY 1968 

I.. CATASTROPHIC FAILURES--Any component failure within the 25X1 

launch or on-orbit vehicle which voids the mission. 

1. THORAD/AGENA 17 Feb 71 THOR TURBOPUMP SYSTEM 

(CORONA 113) FAILURE 

2. 

~ 

3. 

4. TITAN IIIB/AGENA 20 MAY 72 AGENA ORBIT ATTITUDE 

(GAMBIT 4335) CONTROL SYSTEM REGULATOR 

FAILURE 

5. TITAN IIIB/AGENA 26 Jun 73 TENTATIVELY AGENA PROPUL-

(GAMBIT 4339) SION SYSTEM FAILURE 

II. SEVERE MISSION IMPACT--Any failure which has significantly 

degrading effect upon the planned mission. 

2 • GAMB IT (1 1 0 ) Jul 70 SECOND HALF OF MISSION 

UNSUCCESSFUL. 

Shortly after the successful recovery of RV #1, the Extended 

Command System (ECS) malfunctioned due to an overheat condition in the ECS clock oscillator oven. Since the payload could 

no longer be commanded, recovery of RV #2 was attempted through 

the use of the Minimal Command System (MeS). As a result of 

a piece parts failure in the Switch-over electronics (SOE) box, 

RV #2 could not be recovered. Deorbit of the vehicle and the 

attached RV #2 was partially controlled through the use of the 

MCS and the backup stabilization system. 

HEXAGON GAMBIT "-----___ ~I EARPOP 

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3. HEXAGON (467) Jul 71 FAILED TO RECOVER THE 

THIRD BUCKET. 

This first mission of the HEXAGON Program had some parachute 

problems. Although parachute damage or other anomalies 

occurred on three of four reentry vehicles, RV #1, 12, and 14 were 

successfully recovered. Because of parachute cone damage, RV 11 

was allowed to softland in the water and subsequently retrieved. 

RV #2 cmd #4 were successfully aerially recovered. However, 

on RV #3 the main chute failed at deployment and the RV impacted 

in the ocean and sank. Activities of an experimental nature 

are currently in progress to recover the film capsule from 

the ocean floor. 

4. ARROYO (989) Oct 71 POWER CONTROL OSCILLATOR 

OR SYNTHESIZER FAILURE--

MISSION ENDED. 

This EARPOP mission was launched on 16 September 1971 and 

performed exceedingly well until mid-October 1971 at which 

time the spacecraft suffet:ed a power failure; thus ending 

the mission. 

5. HEXAGON (467) Feb 72 BREAK IN FILM TO ONE 

CAMERA. 25X1 

The film in one camera broke after the second RV was full. 

The mission continued another three weeks but only in a 

monoscopic photography mode. 

6. CORONA (846) 25 May 72 REDUCED LIFETIME. 

The solar array did not deploy after injection into orbit 

which reduced the effective life from 18 days to six ~ays. 

Shortly after injection, a control gas pressure leak developed 

which appeared would further shorten the lifetime; however, 

the leak being pressure sensitive decreased to the point at 

which its original power reduction became pacing and the 

mission was completed in six days. 

7. I~ ____________________________________________________ ~ 

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III. ORBITAL ANOMALIES--Anequipment failure or partial failure 

which occurred during the mission, but was of minimal impact 

as a result of: (1) the nature of the failure, (2) the ability 

to switch to a rede~dant system, and (3) the development 025X1 

work-around procedures. 

1.1 ~----------------------------------------------------------~ 

2. 

3. GAMBIT ORBITAL ANOMALIES 

4328 18 Aug 70 Attitude Control Systems 

errors on RACS, switched 

to PACS and continued. 

Incomplete door operation 

(mechanical hang-up) . 

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4329 

4331 

4332 

4333 

4. 

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23 Oct 70 

22 Apr 71 

12 Aug 71 

23 Oct 72 

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Roll Joint Breakstrip 

(use redundant:) 

SPS chamber break-through 

(no impact) 

Erratic APTC shutter 

(incorrect gear face) 

Transponder # 1 (low signal strength) . 

Eccentric film wrap (crinkling 

on film edges) 

Focus offset (infra-red filter 

left out of camera) 

Transponder # 2 failure 

(use Transponder # 1). 

Focus Adjust System (blown 

fuse, no platen drive). 

Primary Attitude Control 

System Failure (motor 

drive circuit piece part 

failure-use RACS) . 

5. STREWMAN ORBI.TAL, ANOMAL,IES 

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6. HEXAGON ORBITAL ANOMALIES 

1201 15 Jun 71 

1202 20 Jan 72 

1203 7 Jul 72 

1204 10 Oct 72 

1205 9 Mar 73 

1206 13 Jul 73 

o 

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THRESHER/REAPER tape 

recorder failures terminated 

TI capability. 

Attitude control system 

thrusters. High use of 

control gas during solo 

phase of flight. No 

mission impact. 

Contamination of vehicle 

external surface causing 

batteries to overheat. 

Attitude control system 

thrusters. High use of contr~l gas during mission. 

Contamination of vehicle 

external surface. 

Tracking problems restricted 

scan modes and rewind velocities. Degradation of 

Thruster valves required 

transfer to redundant 

Attitude Control System. 

Redundant Thruster heating 

problem required reduction 

in mission leng:..il of 3 days. 

Out of spec bias of 3 degrees 

in yaw gyro channel of Primary 

Attitude Control System. 

Mapping camera system thermal 

shutter malfunctioned. A 50 

degree north limit was set 

for operation which was graduall 

raised to 62 degrees north by 

the end of the mission. 

Negative bias W2S observed 

on Primary Attitude Control 

System. Switched to Redundant 

Attitude Control System. 

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7. P-11 ORBITAL ANOMALIES 

The majority of P-11 anomalies during the course of the 

pr6gram have been associated with failures of: 

o 

o 

o 

S Band Transmitters 

Tape Recorders 

SIGINT Receiver Parts 

URSALA 7338 7 Jul 72 

MABELI 7339 20 Jan 72 

8. POppy ORBITAL ANOMADiIES 

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30 Sep 69 

14 Dec 71 

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Payload overheating resuted 

in six day loss of pulse 

radar data. 

Degraded sensitivity in 

one receiver. 

Phase encoder anornaly45 day loss of power data. 

Failure of three sub-satellites prior to MND. (Two 

failures within I I 

severely reduced capability.) 

Abnormal solar cell degradation. Stabilization problem 

with ORe sUb-satellite • 

...:s> 

CONTRcLN.o·.Int~:rJ:H:I.li . , ". . 

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