The Atlas-Centaur 67 incidentThe conditions leading to the breakup of the Atlas-Centaur 67 (AC-67) vehicle launched on March 26, 1987 during a typical winter-time storm are analyzed, and a most probable lightning strike scenario was developed based on inspection of the AC-67 debris, the AC-68 vehicle, and appropriate drawings, electrical diagrams, and photographs. It is shown that, during ascent, the vehicle encountered increasingly larger electric fields and flew through clouds that produced precipitation static on the vehicle, eventually triggering a cloud-to-ground lightning, comprised of at least four return strokes. The resulting lightning current coupled a signal into the wiring which goes to the AC-67 digital computer unit (DCU), effecting a single-word memory alteration and causing the DCU to issue a hardover engine gimbal command. This led to an excessive angle of attack, large dynamic loads, and the breakup of the AC-67.
Document ID
19880035060
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Christian, H. J. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Crouch, K. (Lightning Technologies, Inc. Pittsfield, MA, United States)
Fisher, B. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Mazur, V. (NOAA, National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman OK, United States)
Perala, R. A. (Electro Magnetic Applications Lakewood, CO, United States)