Location
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel
Start Date
28-4-1998 2:00 PM
Description
On October 15th, 1997 at 08451Z the Titan IVB-33 / TC-21 booster launched the Cassini spacecraft on the start of its journey to study the planet Saturn and its moons. This was the largest planetary spacecraft ever launched to the outer planets and was the second successful launch of the new heavy lift Titan IVB (TIVB) booster. The Titan IVB first mission had been launched earlier in the year, February 24th. This new booster reflected the most significant change in US launch capability since the launch of the first Space Shuttle and the effort involved was comparable to the Shuttle Return to Flight Mission in 1989. In short, the efforts leading to the first two TIVB missions required a significant number of firsts. This paper addresses the lessons learned bringing on such a new and powerful launch capability. The launch base team processed new generation flight hardware, utilized new processing facilities or modified existing facilities, established new ground electrical checkout systems, brought the new system on-line in parallel with existing systems, and established new range support capabilities.
Paper Session I-C - Lessons Learned Establishing the Titan IVB Launch System Capability
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel
On October 15th, 1997 at 08451Z the Titan IVB-33 / TC-21 booster launched the Cassini spacecraft on the start of its journey to study the planet Saturn and its moons. This was the largest planetary spacecraft ever launched to the outer planets and was the second successful launch of the new heavy lift Titan IVB (TIVB) booster. The Titan IVB first mission had been launched earlier in the year, February 24th. This new booster reflected the most significant change in US launch capability since the launch of the first Space Shuttle and the effort involved was comparable to the Shuttle Return to Flight Mission in 1989. In short, the efforts leading to the first two TIVB missions required a significant number of firsts. This paper addresses the lessons learned bringing on such a new and powerful launch capability. The launch base team processed new generation flight hardware, utilized new processing facilities or modified existing facilities, established new ground electrical checkout systems, brought the new system on-line in parallel with existing systems, and established new range support capabilities.
Comments
Session Chairman: Lt. Col. Robert Wayne Eleazer, III, USAF
Session Organizer: Carol johnson