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Atlas V Launch Falls Short

ZANL188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3244 posts, RR: 0
Posted (5 years 11 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 2762 times:

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An Atlas V launched from the Cape yesterday put its payloads in improper orbits. Apparently all went well until the second Centaur firing fell short of its performance targets.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1222

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4 replies: All unread, jump to last

DfwRevolution From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 1, posted (5 years 11 months 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 2681 times:

Not exactly good news for the Atlas V crowd who were claiming superior reliability than the Delta IV...

Da man From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 887 posts, RR: 13
Reply 2, posted (5 years 11 months 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 2665 times:

Quoting DfwRevolution (Reply 1):
Not exactly good news for the Atlas V crowd who were claiming superior reliability than the Delta IV

Well, this is the first mishap with the Atlas V. The previous 9 launches have been successes.

The Delta IV has had 7 launches with one total failure.
(The launch Atlas V launch in question is being classified as a partial success.)

The Atlas V so far has a 90% success ratio.
The Delta IV so far has an 85.7% success ratio.

All figures according to Wikipedia.

War Eagle!

DfwRevolution From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 3, posted (5 years 11 months 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 2641 times:

Quoting Da man (Reply 2):
The Delta IV has had 7 launches with one total failure.

The Delta IV has no flights that could be described as "total failures." The closest to a failure would be the test flight of the Delta IV Heavy in which the DemoSat payload failed to reach its planned orbit. That is exactly what has occurred with this Atlas V flight, yet you only describe it as a partial success. And less we forget:

A. The Delta IV Heavy failure occurred while testing a configuration that has never been flown with the Atlas V
B. The Delta IV Heavy failure did not lead to the (potential) loss of any critical hardware
C. Many in the media and industry called the Delta IV Heavy test flight a "partial success" as well.

Da man From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 887 posts, RR: 13
Reply 4, posted (5 years 11 months 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 2638 times:

Quoting DfwRevolution (Reply 3):

Thank you for the correction, I was also reviewing the Ariane 5 and mixed up the failures and partial successes.
You are absolutely correct

Quoting DfwRevolution (Reply 3):
A. The Delta IV Heavy failure occurred while testing a configuration that has never been flown with the Atlas V

True, but the config will eventually fly on the Heavy versions of the Atlas V

War Eagle!