' I THORAD-AGENA PERFORMANCE

FOR THE ORBITING GEOPHYSICAL

I
I OBSERVATORY VI MISSION
~mis Research- Cvdter
I
' CIweEmd, Ohio 44135
1. Weport No. 2. Governrnen~ Aecess~orr No. 3. Rec~er snt ' s Catalog No.
NASA TM X-2148 1 --
4. T ~ t l s and Subtirla
AGENA PERFORNIANCE FOR THE ORBITING
6. Performing Orgonisaticn Cede
TCAL OBSERVATORY VI MISSION
g Organization Report No.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Technical Memorandum
Washington, D. C. 20546 14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Not es
16. Abstract
The Thorad-Agena launch vehicle successfully placed the Orbiting Geophysical Ob-
servatory VI (OGO-VI) into an elliptical orbit with a perigee altitude of 399 km and an
apogee altitude of 1099 km, at an inclination of 82' to the equator. The spacecraft, an
instrumented earth-orbiting satellite, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base,
California, in June 1969 for the purpose of conducting a seri es of scientific experiments. 1
This report contains an evaluation of the performance of the Thorad-Agena system in
support of the OGO-VI mission.
17. Key Words (Suggested b y Author(s)) 18. Distribution Statement
Agena applications Launch vehicles Unclassified - unlimited
Thorad applications Geophysical ex-
Polar orbit periments
Unclassified I Unclassified 1 77 1 89.00
I
For sale by t he Nat ~onal Techn~cal i nf or mar ~on Service, Spr~ngfreid, Vi rgi nf a 22451
CONTENTS
Page
I . S' i f MMARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
11 . INTRODUCTION by Roger S . Pal mer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
111. LAUNCH VEHICLE DESCRIPTION by Eugene E . Coffey and
Roger S Pal mer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 .
. . . . . . . . . . . IV . TRAJECTORY AND PERFORMANCE by James C . Stoll 11
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRAJECTORY PLAN 11
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRAJECTORY RESULTS 11
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
V . THORAD VEHICLE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE 19
VEHICLE STRUCTURE SYSTEM by Robert N . Reinberger and
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Robert W . Pork 19
PROPULSION SYSTEM by Charles H.. Kerrigan and Daniel Bachkin . . . . 21
. . . . . . HYDFMULIC SYSTEM by Eugene J . Fourney and Daniel Bachkin 25
. . . . . . PNEUMATIC SYSTEM by Eugene J . Fourney and Daniel Bachkin 26
GUIDANCE AND FLIGHT CONTWL SYSTEM by Howard D . Jackson and
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
James L . Swavely 28
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM by Edwin R . Procasky and Baxter L . Beaton . . . . 33
TELEMETRY SYSTEM by Richard L . Greene and
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Richard E Orzechowski 35
FLIGHT TERMINATION SYSTEM by Richard L . Greene and
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Richard E . Orzechowski 36
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VI . AGENA VEHICLE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE 39
VEHICLE STRUCTURE SYSTEM by Robert N . Reinberger and
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Robert W . York 39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SHROUD SYSTEM by Robert N . Reinberger 41
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PROPULSION SVSTEM by Robert J Schroeder 45
ELECTRJCAL SYSTEM by Edwin R . Procasky and Basnter L . Beaton . . . . 48
GUIDANCE A m FLIGHT CONTROL SmTEM by Howard D . Jackson . . . . 50
. . . . . COMMUNPCATION CONTROL SYSTEM by Richard L . Greene 55
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. VTI . LAUNCH OPEMTIONS by Frank E Gue 57
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PWcELlbUNCB ACTImTIES 59
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
COUNTDOWN AS$D MUNCH 5'7
Page
A - SEQUENCE OF MM8 R FLIGHT EVEWS, Om-VI - by me ha r d L, Greerne
B - LAUNCH VEHICLE INSTRUMENTATION SUMMARY, OW-V% by
Rehar d L. Greene and Ri chard E. Orzechowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C - TRBCmNG DATA ACQUISITION by Richard L. Greene . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . D - VEHICLE FLIGHT DYNAMICS by Dana H. Benjamin
THBRAD-AGENA PERFORMANCE FOR THE ORBITING
GEOPHYSI CAL OBSERVATORY V I MI SS I ON
Lewi s Research Cent er
I. SUMMARY
--
The Thorad-Agena launch vehicle with the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory VI
(OGO-VI) spacecraft was successfully launched from t he Space Launch Complex 2 East ,
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on June 5, 1969, at 0642:45. 37 hours Pacific
standard time. The Thorad boosted t he Agena - OGO-VI into a suborbital coast ellipse.
After separation of the Agena - OGO-VI from the Thorad, the Agena engine was st art ed
and the Agena - OGO-VI was injected into the desired near-polar elliptical orbit with a
perigee altitude of 399 kilometers and an apogee altitude of 1099 kilometers. The OGO-
VI was then successfully separated from the Agena and, following separation, the Agena
performed a planned 90' yaw maneuver.
The Thorad and Agena vehicle syst ems performed satisfactorily throughout the
mission. This report contains an evaluation of t he Thorad-Agena system in support of
the Om- VI mission.
11. INTRODUCTION
by Roger S. Pal mer
The purpose of the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory VI (OW-VI) mission was to
perform 26 scientific experiments (using an instrumented earth-orbiting satellite) to ob-
tain data on neutral and charged particles, on cosmic rays, on magnetic fields, and on
various ionospheric phenomena. The objectives of the launch vehicle were to inject the
OW-VI into a near-polar elliptical orbit, and for the Agena to perform a 90' yaw maneu-
ver after the 0 0 - V I was separated from the Agena. The launch vehicle and the Agena -
OGO-VI integration effort t o support the mission were under the direction of the Lewis
Research Center. The OGO-VI flight was the last in a seri es of six planned missions.
A summary of these OGO missions is presented in table 11-1.
A Thorad-Agena launch vehicle was used t o place the OW-VI in the desired orbit.
This report discusses the Thorad-Agena performance for the OGO-VI mission, from
lift-off through the 90' yaw maneuver by the Agena after spacecraft separation.
TABLE 11-1. - SUMMARY OF O m MISSIONS
a~~~ i s Eas t er n Tes t Range, Kennedy Space Center, Florida; WTR i s West ern Tes t Range, Vandenberg Ai r Force Base, California.
b ~ h e planned orbit of 927-km apogee altitude and 334-knl perigee altitude was not achieved because the ground radio guidance syst em failed
to acquire the vehicle. OGO-I1 was the only OGO that did not achieve the planned orbit.
Launch dat e
Launch t i me
Launch sitea
Type booster
Type Agena
Agena engine fi ri ng periods
Spacecraft weight, kg
Nunlber of scientific experinients
Spacecraft orbit apogee altitude, lull
Spacecraft orbit peri gee altitude, lull
Spacecraft orbit inclination t o equator, deg
Spacecraft orbi t al peri od, hr
Mission
om-v
3/4/68
08:06 EST
ETR
Atlas SLV-3A
D
0 0 - 1
9/4/64
20:23 EST
ETR
Atlas LV-3A
B
om- 111
6/6/66
21:48 EST
ETR
Atlas SLV-3
B
0 0 - V I
6/5/69
06:43 PST
WTR
Thorad SLV-2G
D
0 0 - 1 1
10/14/65
05:12 PST
WTR
Thrust-augmented
Thor LV-2A
D
o m - I V
7/28/67
06:21 PST
WTR
Thrust-augmented
Thor LV-2A
D
2
486. 7
2
513.9
1
520. 7
2
561. 1 ' I 598, 3
20
149 107
286
31. 1
64
1
620. 1
26
1099
399
82. 0
1. 7
20
907
416
86. 0
1. 6
20
5 122 465
"414 275
25
145 758
279
31. 2
61. 5
87. 4
1. 7
31.0
48. 7
$11, LAUNCH VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
by Eugene E. Coffey and Roger S. Pal mer
The Thorad-Agena is a two-stage launch vehicle consisting of a Thorad first stage
and an Agena second stage, connected by a booster adapter. The composite vehicle
(fig. 111-I), including the shroud and the booster adapter, is about 33 meters (109 ft) in
length. The total weight at lift -off is approximately 91 625 kilograms (202 000 lbm).
Figure ITI-2 shows the Thorad-Agena lift-off with OGO-VI.
The Thorad stage (fig. III-3) consists of a long-tank Thor and three solid-propellant
rocket motors located 120' apart and attached to the long-tank Thor near the aft end.
The long-tank Thor is 21.4 meters (70. 3 ft) in length and 2.4 meters (8 ft ) in diameter,
except for the conical forward section which tapers to a diameter of about 1. 6 meters
(5. 3 ft). The solid-propellant rocket motors a r e each about 7 meters (24 ft) in length
and 0.8 meter (2. 5 ft ) in diameter, with a conical forward end. The Thorad is powered
3
by a main engine with a sea-level-rated thrust of 756x10 newtons (170 000 lbf), by two
3
vernier engines with a total sea-level-rated thrust of 8.9XPO newtons (2000 lbf), and by
the three solid-propellant rocket motors with a total sea-level-rated thrust of 696x10
3
newtons (156 450 lbf). The propellants for the Thorad main engine and for the vernier
engines ar e liquid oxygen and high-grade kerosene. The propellant for the solid-
propellant rocket motors is basically a solid grain of polybutadiene acrylic acid and
ammonium perchlorate.
The vernier engines, the main engine, and the solid-propellant rocket motors ar e
ignited in sequence prior to lift-off. The fixed-nozzle solid-propellant rocket motors
burn for approximately 39 seconds. They ar e jettisoned at T c 102 seconds in order to
assure impact of the solid-propellant rocket motor cases in a safe ar ea (water impact).
Thorad main engine cutoff occurs when the desired velocity for the planned suborbital
ellipse is achieved, as determined by the radio guidance system or by propellant de-
pletion. During powered flight, the Thorad main engine gimbals for pitch and yaw control
and the vernier engines gimbal for roll control. After Thorad main engine cutoff, the
vernier engines continue to thrust for 9 seconds to provide for vehicle attitude control
and for fine trajectory corrections. -After vernier engine cutoff, the Thorad is severed
from the Agena by the firing of a -Mild Detonating Fuse system located on the forward
end of the booster adapter. The firing of a retrorocket system, mounted on the booster
ada,pter, then separates the Thorad with booster adapter from the Agena.
The Agena second stage and t he shroud protecting t he Om- VI spacecraft are shown i n
'cj-n~ a x Gg ur unnoys s? $$r!x~ax?ds m-030 ay& "pv$s aupua eua3v xa$p
spuozias OT pauosq~aC s!, pnoxys sly& -~ua:,sr! 3 u l ~n p $p~z~a: , sds ay? xoj uor paqo~d pquaur
-uoxlAua sapyoxd pnox ys 1-[aysw~: , a$vulur-q ssr!13 xaqg y .uor$v~zdas LA- 030 xa$p
aaAnaur!ur M ~ L vuaBy ayq urxo~xad 07 pasn os1-e s$ S ~ " J sr!8-p1ozi ay& .ura$s6s sr!3--p~o:,
ayq 6q papr~oxd axr! 1ox?uoz1 110.1 pur! '&EL 'y37jd ' J @~ J paxannoduou $0 sporxad 3 u ~x n a
' ( ~3y) ura~sLs ~OJ ~UO: , apnqTqJr! (auvy~auro~onlpxqaq pur! ua3oxqlu $0 a x n ~q m) sr!8-p10:,
-e dq p a p ~ a o ~ d ST l o~qr r o~ 1x0~ ppu '"au@ua -erras.$. aqq $u;l~qma@ Aq papr ao~d a m ~OJ J UOD
~ - e d puv q3~~cT "@!;6j ps aa~od: 3 u r ~ n a - BJ UEI ; ~E~C; OJ ~ SB pe3-e 3:~q~rr Sulmng pa2 paq:qlqerJ
pue au~ze~pdylhq)aur!p p~!~$aururhsun sasn aueua siq& *(jq 000 9 ~ ) suo(niau C~~~~ ' T L
go qsnJq2 wnnaen paqx E seq aralSeaa ~ u a 3 ~ aq;L " ( g 06) sJa$ae%r gg JnoqE SF p n o ~q s per^
z w a 3 ~ aqq. $0 q@uq aqa. p u ~ 'l(j 9) sJa3azu g -1 s! asaa3y aay3 yo Jalarare-sp ay& "P-IH ax&g
Fl i ght t er mi nat i on system
ant enna ( f l ush mounted,
f our equal l y spaced),
1
Fi gur e 111-2. - Thorad-Agena l i f t - of f wi t h OGO-VI.
Thorad , ,Transition
station: l L - - - ' section
Section B-I?
n A - - c e n t e r . . . section
1 1,,-0xidizer t ank
1536.8-
, Af t ski r t section
1722 --------
1765
1778
'.
Solid
- Telemetr)
i l wo places?
Section A-A
Solid motor 1
(downrange)
" - ~ai n engi ne
CD-10782-31
Fi gur e 111-3. - Thorad general conf i gurat i on, OGO-VI.
Retrorockets (21,
180" apart ,
Gas storage sphere f or atti tude cont r ol system,.
Shroud-,
Retrorocket f ai r i ng ( 2 ) ~ .
\
, *
LSel f-destruct
charge
= l ~ i l d Detonati ng Fuse
sewr at i on r i ng
, / " - ~ f t secti cn
Fi yur e 111-4. - hgena, shroud, and booster adapter, OGO-VI
SOEP
Orbi tal pl ane
experi mental
package (OPEP) 1- . ,
/
LIW- to 136-MHz
ant enna
Y n
Fi gur e 111-5. - OGO-VI spacecraft in deployed conf i gur at i on.
I\, TRAJECTORY AND PERFORMANCE
by J a me s C. Stoll
OGQ-VI was successfully launched from the Space Launch Complex 2 East (SLC-2E),
Western Test Range, on June 5, 1969, at 0642:45. 37 Pacific standard time. Actual and
expected times for major flight events a r e given in appendix A.
TRAJECTORY PLAN
For the OGO-VI mission, the Thorad-Agena launch vehicle used a direct ascent
flight (i. e. , one thrust period of the Agena engine). The Thorad boosts the Agena -
OGO-VI into a suborbital coast ellipse. Approximately halfway through the Thorad
powered flight, the Thorad performs a dogleg maneuver (a yaw maneuver followed by a
roll maneuver) to place the final orbit at an inclination of 82' to the equator. Following
Thorad-Agena separation, the Agena engine is started and places the Agena - OGO- W
into an elliptical orbit with a 400 -kilometer (2 16 -n mi) perigee and a 1100 -kilometer
(594-nmi) apogee. The Agena performs a trajectory-shaping pitch maneuver (pitch down
at a rate of 13.21 deg/min throughout the Agena powered phase) to provide for injection
of the Agena - OGQ -VI near the perigee of the elliptical orbit. Shortly after Agena
engine cutoff, the Agena is oriented to the local horizontal i n preparation for OGO-VI
separation. The 620.1-kilogram (136'7.1-lbm) OGQ-VI spacecraft is separated from the
Agena about 10 7 seconds after Agena engine cutoff. After OGO -VI separation, the Agena
performs a 90' yaw maneuver to ensure that the Agena will not interfere with the OGO-VI
during subsequent orbits. The planned ascent and initial orbit is shown in figures IV-1
and IV-2.
TRAJECTORY RES ULTS
Winds Aloft
The winds aloft at launch were light xnd predomi nwt l y from t he south with a peak
velocity of 22.6 meters per second (74 ft/sec) occurring at an altitude of 10 211 mehers
. d ~ o p z ~ s t ~ z s S E A p z ~ o y & a y q
$ 0 a ~ u z u r ~ o g ~ a d p q o q a y & T , s p u o a s s p ' c c z - r - ; t ? E p a ~ x n ~ a o p u z w a ? s d s a ~ u ~ p r G o r p 2 . x a y ?
I c ; q p a p u z u x u r o 3 s e M u o r q z x z d a s ~ i r a 3 y - p e z o q g , a y ; L ' H - A I a 1 q - e ) u r p a p s 7 1 a x z s ~ a ? a u r z r z d
a s d g l a p z o a T s 3 ; q J o q n s 3 u ~ 2 1 n s a ~ a y ? p u z ' I - A I a l q q u r p a q s g a J e j j o p n a a u - @ u a J a l u x a n 7 z
s x a p a u r z x s d u o - g p J a s u r a y g , ' j j o q n a a u o u a u r e u x a p j z s p u o a a s 0 - 6 b z 1 a . x d z l a p - a u r y p z b q
p a q z u p u x a ) S B M p s n r y p a u r S u a x a l u r a n p z r o y g , a q g , ' s a a u z r a ~ o 7 a l q z M o l l z a y p u l y p l M a x a M
s u o a p z p i a p A x o l = > a [ z ~ p a s a y 3 ; . p a p a d x a u z y p r a k o l ( a a s / g 8 ) p u o a a s x a d s x a p a u x $ ' Z E M
a p 7 y a n a y ? J O f i q p o i a n a y $ ' ~ ~ o p n a a u p u a u r z u r q z " o s l ~ ' b x o p a C z r p p a p l p a x d a y ? 0 7 p a ~ z d
- u r e a s z ' 3 ~ 3 ~ a y l 0 % ( X I O O L ) s J a ? a u r 5 ' E T Z P U E ' & ~ U E J u 7 s s a l ( $ 3 0 0 1 ' 6 ) s J E a 3 a u r b ' 6 ' 6 Z T
' ~ 3 1 ~ ( 7 3 O O L E ) S J a l a U J 8 ' A Z T T 7 n o q z s E M d ~ o ~ a ! ? ? ~ ' ? T E n P z a y 7 ' a U J l 1 S T U 7 V ' P a P l P
- a r d m y ? x a ' l l x z a s p u o a a s z . Z ' s p u o 2 a s ' L T Z + J , J E p u ~ u r u r o a u r a q s b s a a u ' t : p r t G o r p z r
z L q p a r x n a a o j j o p n a ' u o l s s l u r s m p x o g ' u o r p a l d a p p u z ~ ~ a d o x d b q r o p m u r u r o ~ u r a p s b s
a a u ~ p l t G o l p z x z b q x a y $ l a x n a a o o p $ j o $ n a a u @ u a u r z u r p z a o y g , 3 0 j p a & ; s a p s z ~ L x o p a [ z . x )
a y g , O s p u o a a s 6 ' E T Z + g , 0 3 0 9 ' $ 2 ~ + J , u r o x j p z x o y ~ , a y p o ? s u o g a a x x o a B u l x a a p s r o u ; u r
p a p y a o x d u a y p u r a p s b s a a u z p r n 2 o l p z x a y g , ' ( q : q x o l z u - t j 3 0 u o l p E u r p u r x o j A I - A I a I q z p
a a s ) s p u o a a s z z ' $ 2 ~ + g , $ z p a y e u r u r x a q E M p m s p u o a a s g p ' P O T + J , 7 ~ p a p q s S E M
( x a a n a u ~ u r ~ l o x E L q p a M o I I o j a a h n a m m M E L z ) x a h n a u z u r B a l 3 o p p a w m ~ a 3 o x d a y &
. b r o p a [ z x p p a p l p a x d a y q o p p a x z d u r o a S E ' q y 3 l x a y ? 0 3 ( $ 3 O O L )
S J a l a u r E T Z P u e ' a 3 u z ~ u l s s a l ( 7 3 0 0 6 1 ) s J a $ a u r 6 L l ; ' @ ? Y ( $ 3 0 0 9 ' 6 ) s J a 7 a u r Z L E T 7 n o P
S E M b x o 7 a a [ z x 7 a l a r y a n l z n p z a y q ' u o s y p p a [ j o a w l ? a y q 3 - v - s u o ; q z x a p r s u o a b q a ~ z s a = f u z x 3 0
a s n ~ a a q s p u o a a s T ' Z O T - t J , I r J u n p a u o s r p ~ a f p u a x a M s a s z a x o p o u r q a y a o x 7 u z l i [ a d o x d - p g o s
a y q 2 n q ' s p u o a a s z + J , p ~ ? n o p a u x n q s x o p o u r ~ a y a o x q u z ~ ~ a d o x d - p l ~ o s a a r y q a y g ,
s a p z x y a g d p a u r w z x 3 o x d a y p $ 2 a B u ~ x u r n o p
y a g d 0 2 u z 3 a q a p l y a a a y q p u z ' p a ~ a l d u r o : , E M x a a n a u z u r 1 1 0 . 1 s r y q ' s p u o a a s z z * g ~ + g ,
3 V ' , O ' L 8 T j o y $ n u r l z z y a u n z ~ z a n a l y a z 0 7 r a n n a m u r l - [ o x p a u r m v x B o x d z p a p z p s p v x o y g ,
a y l ' s p u o a a s S T
I - J , 3 ~ * o ~ - 6 9 7 , 3 0 y p n u q z z p ~ d p u n q ' t : ~ 0 x 3 p a x x n m o $ 3 0 - 1 ~ 1 9
' ( $ 3 g l ; Z Z ) s x a ) a m g ' ~ 8 g j o a p n p ' g p l z t r z 7 z x n a a o 0 . 4 p u z a u q d
y a p r d a y q u r a l 3 u . e l z q u r e a I q z I l z n z l z ~ o 7 a y q j o q u a a x a d p * G Z a q o p p a p z ~ n a l z a s z ~ a l S m
~ - e q w @ J a q s o o q u r n u r r m u r a q & * ( ~ j 8 ~ 0 c g ) s r a q a r u r O L Q 0 1 j o a p n j r l l ' P : u s 3 z ~ n a ~ o o q . p a
6 8 " G Z Z ' P . U O j ' ~ z ) s p z ~ o q & 3 % a n p s n $ z 3 1 3 ~ . r 3 a a q ) g o ~ u f u a a ~ a d 9 " Z S a q 0 7 p a 7 e T n a I e 3 s - e m a s r r o d s
- a 2 B s l p p n a q a T D T q a P : m n r u l r e e z r a q & g , " a ~ B u ~ ~ z q u r @ u r n m a - s u r a q r f p u r : a s t r o d s a ~ 2 a x r p u a q
; a T D ! q a n U n e r r y m P x z a q l 3 3 1 p a ~ d 0 3 p a s 1 1 a ; r s h i l p p a ~ o o ~ ~ ~ q J a q ? = a w l . ( y y o - $ $ ! I ) o - L a a y ~
* a u r a n a s ~ o u a m n w I C ~ P O ~ P A P W F I M . u $ s a $ u z q a
~ d r n q ~ 6 q p a a r a p o ~ d s J ; b s a q s f l u . e ~ a q ; l , " E - ~ I a . a n 3 . e ~ u l u m q s a n z q z p p u ~ ~ " ( 2 ~ 0 0 5 g g )
Agena Psl~ered Phase
The trajectory-shaping piteh maneuver was s"cded at T 4- 265. 8 seconds at a pitch-
Gown rat e of P3, 21 degrees per minute. Thi s rate was mnaintained throughout the Agena
powered phase, The Agenza engine was st art ed at T -c- 284. 9 seconds, and 90-percent
chamber pr es s ur e was achieved 1. 2 seconds l at er. Agena engine cutoff occurred by
radi o guidance syst em command at T + 519.0 seconds. Thrust duration (measured
f r om 90-percent chamber pr essur e t o Agena engine cutoff) was 233. 1 seconds, 2; 3 sec-
onds l es s than predicted. The shor t er Agena t hrust duration was a resul t of higher than
expected orbi t energy at Thorad main engine cutoff and higher than expected Agena engine
t hrust . The radio guidance syst em st eeri ng commands wer e smal l i n pitch and yaw
duri ng the Agena powered phase. At Agena engine cutoff, t he velocity was 7847. 5 met er s
pe r second (25 746.4 ft/sec). Thrust decay added 9. 8 met er s per second (32.2 ft/sec),
compared t o a predicted 9. 4 met er s per second (30.9 ft/sec). The injection par amet er s
at Agena engine cutoff a r e l i st ed i n table IV-III.
Agena Postpowered Phase
After Agena engine cutoff, the Agena longitudinal axi s was alined t o t he l ocal hori -
zontal. Following t hi s alinement, t he 0 0 - V I spacecraft was separat ed from t he Agena
at T + 628. 7 seconds by Agena t i mer command. At T + 6 31.7, the Agena began a 90'
yaw maneuver s o that it would not i nt erfere with t he OGO-VI on subsequent orbi t s.
The OW-Vl[ orbi t was nearl y perfect. The final orbi t par amet er s f or t he 060- VI
and t he Agena a r e listed i n table IV-IV.
'I'AB1,E IV-I. - INSERTION
PARAMETERS AT
VE RNlER ENGINE
CUTOFF, OW- VI
TABLE IV-11. - SUBORBITAL
COAST ELLIPSE
PARAMETERS
AT APOGEE.
o m - V I
Actual value
6701.32
3618.43
3360.42
11 025. 0
326.97
176. 55
79. 89
0. D l
Par amet er
Radius
Velocity
Altitude
Inclination
Eccent ri ci t y
Uni t s
km
n mi
m/ sec
ft / sec
km
n mi
deg
- - - - -
TABLE IV-Ill. - INJECTION
PARAMETERS AT AGENA
ENGINE CUTOFF, OGO-17
TABLE IV-IV. - FINAL ORBIT
PARAMETERS, OGO-VI
Par amet er s
Apogee altitude
Apogee radi us
Peri gee altitude
Peri gee radi us
Peri od
Inclination
Eccent ri ci t y
Units
km
n mi
km
n mi
km
n mi
km
n mi
mi n
deg
----
-
Actual val ues
OGO-VI
1099.31
593.58
7474.54
4035. 93
398.92
215.40
6774. 00
3657.67
99. 75
82.003
0.04916
Agena
1093.87
590.64
7469.08
4032.98
398.92
215.40
6773. 98
3657.66
99. 69
82. 003
0.04880
Fi:ure I V- I . - OGO-VI - hgcna ascent t r aj ect or y and i ni t i al or bi t viewed f r om 100" W and 30' N.
Fi gur e I V- 2. - OGO-VI - P . y a i ni t i al or bi t vie,;:?; irom 80' E ancl 30C N.
Wi nd di recti on, deg f r om nor t h
Fi gur e I V-3. - Wi nd
Wi nd speed, ftl sec
data, OGO-VI.
V. THORAD VEHICLE - SYSTEM PERFORMANCE --
VEI-1ICLE STRUCTURE SY ST W
by Robert N. Rei nberger and Robert W. Yorlc
System Descri pt i on
The Thorad airframe structure (fig. V-1) consists of seven sections: the transition
section, the adapter section, the fuel tank, the center body section, the oxidizer tank,
the aft skirt section, and the engine and accessories section. The Thorad is 21.4 met ers
(70. 3 ft) in length and is 2. 4 meters (8 ft) in diameter, except for the conical forward
section which tapers to a diameter of about 1.6 meters (5. 3 ft).
The transition section at the forward end of the Thorad is 1.1 meters (3.7 ft) long
and consists of a truncated cone of semimonocoque construction. The transition section
houses the flight control equipment, the electrical power components, the umbilical con-
nection assembly, and the flight termination equipment. Access doors ar e provided for
inspection and replacement of equipment.
The adapter section, also a truncated cone, is 1. 0 meter (3. 3 ft ) long and connects
the transition section to the fuel tank.
The fuel-tank assembly is 5.4 meters (17. 7 ft ) long. It is longitudinally butt-welded
t o form a cylinder from three sheets of 0.63-centimeter (0.25-in. ) aluminum, milled on
the interior surface in a waffle-like pattern t o obtain the maximum strength-weight ratio.
It has convex domes at either end, intermediate frames, circumferential and anti-vortex
baffles, and a fuel-transfer tube and sump. The convex domes ar e bolted to the cylinder
and have small welds to seal the joints.
The center body section, a semimonocoque construction, is 0.8 meter (2.7 f t ) long
and contains the Thorad telemetry equipment. Doors ar e provided for access to this
section.
The oxidizer tank assembly, 8.6 meters (28.2 ft ) long, is similar in construction to
the fuel-tank assembly.
The aft skirt section is 0. 9 meter (2.8 f t ) long and c o n t ~ n s the nitrogen pressuriza-
t i ~ n tanks and. associated components, and the oxidizer fill, valve.
The endne and accessories section, 2, 2 meters ('7.1 ft) long, is a semimono~oque
aluminurn construction with stringers and ring frames. The main engine is attached
through a gimbal block and tripod sdmeture t o three u~aiformly spaced "crust beams.
PROPULSION SYSTEM
by Charles H. i(errigan and Daniel Bachkin
System Description
The Thorad propulsion system is composed of a liquid-propellant engine system
(fig. V-2) and t hree solid-propellant rocket motors.
The liquid-propellant engine system consists of a main engine, two verni er engines,
and an engine s t ar t system. These engines use liquid oxygen and RJ-1 (kerosene) f or
propellants. During the engine start sequence, electrically initiated pyrotechnic igniters
a r e used t o ignite gas generator propellants f or driving t he turbopumps; and hypergolic
igniters a r e used t o ignite the propellants in the thrust chambers of the main and verni er
engines. The pneumatic control of the liquid-propellant engine system is discussed i n
Section V, PNEUMATIC SYSTEM.
3 3
The Thorad main engine, rated at 756x10 newtons (170x10 lbf) thrust at s ea level,
consists of a gimbaled thrust chamber, propellant valves, an oxidizer and a fuel turbo-
pump driven by a gas generator, a fuel additive blender unit (FABU) syst em, and a heat
exchanger. The FABU system provides a lubricant supply t o the turbopump by utilizing
fuel (from t he fuel pump volute) mixed with lubricant additive contained i n the FABU.
Fixed-area orifices regulate the propellant flow t o the thrust chamber and t o t he gas
generator. There is no thrust control system t o compensate for changes in propellant
head pressure t o the turbopumps.
3
Each gimbaled verni er engine is rated at 4.45X10 newtons (1000 lbf) t hrust at s ea
level, with propellants supplied from the main engine turbopumps. Because the turbo-
pumps do not operate after main engine cutoff, the vernier engines a r e supplied with
propellants from t he engine st ar t tanks during the verni er solo phase of flight. For t hi s
3
phase, each verni er engine is rated at 3.68XPO newtons (830 lbf) thrust at s ea level.
The duration of the verni er engine solo phase is controlled by a time-delay relay that
starts at main engine cutoff and provides the verni er engine cutoff command 9 seconds
l at er.
The engine st ar t system consists of two smal l propellant tanks and a pressurization
system. These engine start tanks have a volume of approximately 0.028 cubic met er
(1 cu ft) each and a r e filled and pressurized pri or t o launch t o supply propellants f or
engine start. They remain pressurized and a r e refilled, from the turbopump, during
flight t o provide propellants f or verni er engine operation after main engine cutoff.
The propellant grain f or the t hree solid-propellant rocket motors is basically poly-
butadiene acryl i c acid and ammonium perchlorate. Each solid motor is rated at 232x10
3
newtons (52 3.50 Ibf) thsust at sea level, These mot or s are imited by a simal from a
pressure swi tch 0-1 t he Thorad main engine t hr ust chamber. This switch actuates when
the chamber pressure in the Thorad main engine reaches 258 newboxas per square centi-
met er (37'5 psi) during the start sequence. The souid-propelIa%nt rocket mot ors provide
tlimst for about 39 seconds and are jettisoned 10% seconds after imi"cion, The jettison
command is provided by a timer t hat st ar t s aPc solid-propellal%e roci~ei motor i g~i t l on,
These mot ors a r e mounted 120' apart on the Thorad engine and aeeessori es seetion md
have an 11' nozzle cant angle (see fig. 111-3).
System Performance
The performance of the Thorad propulsion system f or the OW- VI mission was sat-
isfactory. During the liquid-propellant engine start phase, engine valve opening t i mes
and starting sequence events were within tolerances. Performance paramet ers for the
solid-propellant rocket motors and f or the liquid-propellant engines were normal, as
indicated by a comparison of measured with expected values. These data a r e tabulated
in table V-I. The solid-propellant rocket motors burned for 37.2 seconds, and the solid-
propellant rocket motor cases were jettisoned at T + 102.1 seconds as planned.
Main engine chamber pressure data indicated the occurrence of longitudinal os cilla-
tions on two different occasions for t hi s flight. Chamber pressure fluctuations at a f r e-
quency of 23. 5 hertz st art ed at T + 110 seconds, reached a maximum peak-to-peak am-
plitude of 14 newtons per square centimeter (20 psi) at T + 114 seconds, and subsided at
T + 119 seconds. These fluctuations were caused by vehicle response t o the second lon-
gitudinal compression mode. This was the fi rst NASA Thorad-Agena flight t o exhibit this
response. Shortly before main engine cutoff, a s on previous Thorad flights, t here was a
coupling of the propulsion system response characteristics with the first longitudinal
compression mode of the vehicle st ruct ure (i. e. , POGO effect). During this coupling,
from T + 201 t o T + 215 seconds, the maximum peak-to-peak amplitude of the main en-
gine chamber pressure fluctuations was 41.4 newtons per square centimeter (60 psi) at a
frequency of 17. 5 hertz. These values a r e typical for the PC)GO effect. (See Section VI,
VEHICLE STRUCTURE SYSTEM for maximum POGO acceleration levels.)
Main engine cutoff was initiated by a command from t he radio guidance s ys hm at
T + 217. 9 seconds. Vernier engine cutoff occurred 9 seconds l at er. Transi ent s were
normal at solid-propellant rocket motor burnout and during shutdown of the main and
verni er engines.
Reslaaal propellznts in the main tanks were calculated to be 216.8 kilograms
(478 lbm) of fuel and 184.6 kilograms (407 lbm) of oxidizer. The fuel residual was cal-
culated based on fuel float switch activation lime. The oxidizer residual was calculated
by using main ellginae performaice data Inskead of %he oxidizer float swi t ch adivation t i me
because t he oxidizer float switch activated premat~rrely. Based on these propellant
residuals, the propel l ad consumption at main engine cutoff was calculated .lo be 99. 4
percent. h extrapolation t o prope1laaa.t depletion, oxidizer depletion in t hi s ease, in-
di cat es that a propellant ut i l zat i on of 99. 8 percent was achieved.
TABLE V-I. - THORAD PROPULSION SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, OGO-VI
(a) Solid-propellant rocket mot ors
(b) Liquid-propellant engines
Performance par amet er
Combustion chamber pr essur e, absolute:
Motor 1
Motor 2
Motor 3
a ~ e r n i e r engine 1 was not instrumented.
bInstrumentation malfunction from T + 111.6 s e c to end of flight (see Thorad telemetry system section).
Units
N/cm2
psi
N/cm2
psi
N/cm2
psi
Performance par amet er
Main engine t hrust chamber pr essur e,
absolute
Turbopump speed
Verni er engine 2a t hrust chamber pr es-
s ur e when pump-supplied, absolute
Verni er engine 2a t hrust chamber pr es -
s ur e when tank-supplied, absolute
Flight values at -
Units
N/cm2
psi
rpm
N/cm2
psi
N/cm2
psi
Flight values at -
T + 10 s e c T + 35 s e e T + 25 s e c
Expected
403
585
403
585
403
585
Expected
454
658
4 54
658
454
658
Expected
491
712
491
712
491
712
Measured
401
582
396
575
40 3
584
Measured
444
644
444
644
444
644
T + 30 s e c Vernier engine cutoff
Measured
480
696
477
692
480
696
Main engine cutoff
Expected
412
600
6308
268
389
----
----
Expected
---
---
---
---
---
208
302
Expected
376
547
5992
246
356
----
----
Measured
407
59 3
6 300
262
382
----
----
Measured
---
---
---
---
---
20 7
30 1
Measured
36 7
534
(b)
246
358
---
---
r Fuel additive
Fi gur e V-2. - Thorad l i qui d-propel l ant engi ne system, OGO-VI.
E4VDRAUlIC SYSTEM
by Eugene J. Fourney and Daniel Bachltin
System Description
The Thorad hydraulic system provides hydraulic fluid at the pr essur es and flow
r at es required f or gimbaling the main and verni er engines. The system consists of
pump, reservoi r, accumulator, fi l t ers, check valves and pressure relief valves, six
actuator assemblies, hydraulic fluid, and the necessary lines and fittings. The positive
displacement pump, mounted on the turbopump accessory unit, provides the flow r at e
and pr essur e of hydraulic fluid during t he main engine thrust phase. The accumulator,
which is precharged with nitrogen gas during ground operations, provides the required
flow r at e and pressure of hydraulic fluid for gimbaling the verni er engines during verni er
engine solo operation. The reservoi r provides hydraulic fluid t o t he pump inlet from
the system ret urn lines. Two actuator assemblies a r e provided for each thrust chamber.
Each actuator assembly consists of a hydraulic actuator, a feedback potentiometer, and
a servovalve. The servovalve controls the flow rat e of hydraulic fluid for engine posi-
tioning.
System Performance
The hydraulic system functioned satisfactorily. The hydraulic system flight per -
formance data a r e presented in table V-11.
TABLE V-11. - THORAD HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, OGO-VI
'Normal range of t he absolute value of the hydraulic supply pr essur e during main engine operation i s from 2065 t o
2340 N/crn2 (3000 t o 3400 psi). During verni er engine solo operation, the supply pr essur e normally decays by 265 t o
345 ~ / c m' (300 t o 500 psi).
2
b ~ h e norrnal range of the absolute return pr essur e i s 31 t o 65. 5 ~ / c m (45 t o 90 psi) while the airborne hydraulic
system i s activated.
Normal
range
(a)
(b)
Before
engine
ignition
2082
3040
67
98
Supply pr essur e,
absolute
Return pr essur e,
absolute
Units
N/cm2
psi
N/cm2
psi
Flight values at -
T + 10 s ec
2165
3155
4 1
60
Verni er engine
cutoff
1758
2560
59
86
T + 60 s e c
2165
3155
56
8 1
T + 2 1 s e c
2165
3155
4 1
60
Main engine
cut off
2082
3040
54
78
T + 31 s e c
2165
3155
60
88
PNEUMATIC SYSTEM
by Eugene J. Fourney and Dani el BacRkin
System Description
The Thorad pneumatic system consists of the pneumatic control subsystem and the
main-fuel-tank pressurization subsystem. High-pressure gaseous nitrogen is stored in
four spherical stainless-steel tanks t o supply pressure for the pneumatic system. A
check valve in the system as s ur es that one of these tanks can only provide nitrogen gas
for the pneumatic control subsystem. The t hree remaining tanks provide nitrogen gas
for pressurizing the fuel tank and, if required, provide nitrogen gas for operation of
the pneumatic control subsystem.
The pneumatic control subsystem regulates gaseous nitrogen pressure f or pr essur -
ization of the engine start subsystem, the liquid-oxygen pump seal cavity, and actuation
of propellant valves. The system consists of a pneumatic control package, fi l t er, two
solenoid control valves, and t he required fittings and connecting tubing. One of t he
solenoid control valves controls pneumatic pressure t o t he main oxidizer valve. The
other solenoid control valve controls pneumatic pressure t o the main fuel valve and the
gas generator blade valve.
The main-fuel-tank pressurization subsystem bleeds high-pressure gaseous nitro-
gen through a fixed-area orifice t o maintain the fuel-tank ullage pressure (absolute) be-
tween 8. 3 and 33.9 newtons per square centimeter (12 t o 49 psi) during flight. A heat
exchanger in the main-engine gas generator exhaust system is used t o convert liquid
oxygen t o gaseous oxygen t o maintain the oxidizer -tank ullage absolute pr essur e between
22.1 and 42.1 newtons per square centimeter (32 t o 61 psi) during flight.
System Performance
The Thorad pneumatic system performed satisfactorily. All pneumatic system
paramet ers observed were satisfactory. System performance data a r e presented in
table V-ITI.
Main-fuel-tank ullage pr es s ur e,
absolute
I
Main-oxidizer-tank ullage pr e s -
s ur e, absolute
I
Pneumatic-control-bottle pr e s -
s ur e , absolute
Units / Normal
rangea
T - 10 s ec T - 0 s e c T + 10 sec
I
Flight values at -
T + 60 s e c T + 120 s e c
I cutoff cutoff
24. 1 24. 1
1930
2800
a ~ o r m a l ranges apply only during main engine operation.
b ~ r e s s u r e change from main engine cutoff t o ver ni er engine cutoff refl ect s us e of nitrogen f or pressuri zat i on of s t ar t t anks during verni er
engine solo operation and pneumatic control subsysteui operation.
GUIDANCE AND FLIGHT CONTROL SYSPWi
by Howard D, Jackson and James h. SwaveEy
The Thorad flight path i s eontrol:cd by b c interrelated systems: the Thorad flight
control. system and the radio widance system. The flight control system di rect s the
vehicle in a preprograrnmed open-loop mode from lift-off through verni er engine cutoff.
The radio guidance system will provide, i f needed, pitch and yaw st eeri ng commands
during approximately the l ast half of the Thorad powered flight. These st eeri ng com-
mands provide corrections for vehicle deviations from the desired t raj ect ory. The
radio guidance system al so provides di scret e commands f or Thorad main engine cutoff
and Thorad-Agena separation. The radio guidance system' s use during the Agena phase
of flight is discussed i n Section VI, GUIDANCE AND FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM.
System Description
The maj or components of the Thorad flight control system a r e the control electronic
assembly and t hree rate gyros. The control electronic assembly contains a programmer,
t hree displacement gyros, and associated electronic circuitry. These displacement
gyros a r e single -degree -of -freedom, floated, hermetically sealed rat e -integrating gyros.
These gyros a r e mounted in an orthogonal configuration alining the input axi s of each
gyro t o its respective vehicle axi s of pitch, yaw, or roll. Each gyro provides an elec-
t ri cal output signal proportional t o the difference in angular position of t he measured
axis from the gyro input (reference) axis.
The programmer provides the following discrete commands: start and stop of the
rol l , pitch, and yaw preprogrammed maneuvers, the solid-propellant rocket motor case
jettison a r m and backup jettison, enable radio guidance system steering, enable verni er
engine yaw control, and enable main engine cutoff. The programmer uses a motor-
driven prepunched tape. Slots in the prepunched tape activate relay circuits for the pro-
grammer commands. For t hi s mission, the capability of the Thorad flight control sys-
tem t o accept radio guidance system pitch and yaw steering commands is enabled at
T c 124 seconds. Between T + 124 seconds and main engine cutoff, all radio guidance
system pitch and yaw steering commands are routed t o t he Thorad flight control system.
The t hree rate gyros a r e of the single-degree-of-freedom, spring-restrained type.
The rol l rat e gyro is located in the center body section with its input axi s alined t o the
vehicle ro?! axis. The pitch and yaw rat e gyms a r e located adjacent t o t he fuel. tank in
a cable tunnel and a r e mounted with the input axes alined t o the pitch and yaw vehicle
axes. Each rat e gyro provides an electrical output sigxal propodional t o the ang~alar
r at e of rotation of the vehicle about the gyro input (reference) axis.
The radio guidance syst em includes ai rborne equipment located in t he Agena (a
radar transponder and comlnand recei ver, a eontroZ package, t wo antennas, a di r ee-
tiozrral coeipler, and connecting waveguide); and ground-based equi pmek (a r adar t racki ng
station and a computer). The maj or functions (fig. V-3) a r e described in the following
paragraphs :
The r adar t racki ng station t ransmi t s a composite message-t rai n containing an ad-
dr e s s code and t he st eeri ng and di scret e commands t o t he vehicle. The r adar t r ans -
ponder and command recei ver in the Agena recei ves t he message-t rai n and t r ansmi t s a
ret urn pulse t o the ground each t i me the addr ess code is correct . The r adar t racki ng
station det ermi nes vehicle position (range, azimuth, and elevation) from the ret urn
pulses. The computer pr ocesses the position information, computes t raj ect ory cor r ec-
t i ons, and i ssues appropri at e st eeri ng and di scret e commands which a r e t ransmi t t ed t o
the Agena by t he r adar t racki ng station as just descri bed. The st eeri ng and di scr et e
commands a r e routed from the Agena t o t he Thorad through vehicle harnesses.
A dorsal and a ventral antenna a r e mounted on t he forward section of t he Agena and
a r e connected through waveguide and t he directional coupler t o t he radar t ransponder and
command recei ver. The location of the r adar t racki ng station antenna with respect t o
the launch si t e is such that f or prelaunch testing and ear l y ascent , the dorsal antenna
provides t he gr eat er signal strength t o the ground antenna. As t he vehicle pitches over
and moves downrange, t he ventral antenna provides the great er signal strength. The
directional coupler attenuates the signal from the dor sal antenna t o minimize i nt erfer-
ence effects between the dor sal and ventral antennas. Mission t raj ect ory information
det ermi nes t he antenna configuration, t he antenna orientation, and the type of directional
coupler f or each mission.
During t he earl y portion of flight, multipath effects and ground-clutter effects could
cause the r adar t racki ng station t o acquire (lock on) a fal se vehicle position. To avoid
t hi s problem t he following procedure is used f or r adar t racki ng station acquisition (lock-
on) of the vehicle. Before lift-off, t he centerline of the ground radar antenna beam is
manually pointed at the junction of the ground antenna horizon and the programmed tra-
jectory. At lift-off, a t i mer in the ground station is st art ed which closes t he ground
r adar angle t racki ng loops at T 6 6 . 1 seconds, t he t i me at which the vehicle is pr e-
dicted t o fly through the radar beam. When the angle t racki ng loops a r e closed, the ac-
quisition (lock-on) is complete and the r adar t racki ng station will t r ack t he act ual vehicle
position.
As a backup t o the angle-loop t i mer , the r adar tracking station operat or manually
cl oses the angle t racki ng loops at T + 7 seconds. If the r adar tracking station still does
not acquire t he launch vehicle, t he ground antenna is slewed t o 20 mi l s elevation t o ac-
qui re at kt T 11. 3 seconds; then it is manually slewed through a planned s er i es of point-
ing coordinates until acquisition i s effected. These coordinates correspond 'to t he ex-
pecked vehicle positions at T -+ 14.2, T + 30, $ + 50, and T -!- 90 seconds.
Range lock and freqtrency lock ar e accomplished before lift-off,
System Performance
The Thorad flight control syst em performance was sat i sfact ory throughout flight.
Lift-off t ransi ent s i n pitch, yaw, and rol l wer e negligible, as indicated by main engine
gimbal angle dat a (0.05' in pitch and 0. 10' in yaw).
The maximum main engine gimbal angles at the t i me of great est wind shear (-T c
55 see) wer e well within the design allowable. Maximum angular displacements of t he
vehicle af t er radio guidance syst em enable at T + 124 seconds were 1.40' in pitch and
0. 50' in yaw. Gimbal angles at mai n engine cutoff (T + 217. 7 sec) wer e 0.21 i n pitch
and 0. 15' in yaw. Angular displacements of the vehicle from t he desi red flight path when
the Agena gyros were uncaged (T c 226. 7 sec) were 0.05' in pitch, 0.05' i n yaw, and
0.0' in roll. These angular displacements wer e within allowable l i mi t s and provided a
sat i sfact ory reference attitude f or t he Agena. Angular r at es at Thorad-Agena separation
(T + 233.4 sec) were 0.06 degree pe r second in pitch, 0. 07 degree p e r second in yaw,
and 0. 03 degree per second i n roll.
Roll r at e gyro output oscillations noted during the Thorad phase of flight wer e as
follows:
Ti me of fl i ght , Fr equency Maxi mum peak-t o-
peak osci l l at i on,
The oscillations at T + 102.2 seconds (immediately following solid-propellant rocket
mot or case jettison) wer e attributed t o backlash in the linkage t o t he verni er engines and
t o nonlinearities in t he servovalves. The oscillations between T -i- 110 and T t- 119 s ec-
onds reflect t he vehicle st ruct ure response t o the second long2tudiinal compression mode
di scussed previously i n the Thosad propulsion section. Oscillations between 7' + 209.
md T i- 215 seconds wer e attributed to the first Isngitudinal compression mode response
( W C a effect) discussed in the Thosad propulsion section. None of these oscillations
were detrimen"c1 to the control system performance.
The radio ~r i da nc e system (ground and airborne) performed satisfactorily throughout
the guided portion of flight. The range and frequency loops 06 the r adar traekiilg station
were locked on the vehicle before lift-off. Signal strength at the radar tracking station
before lift-off was satisfactory. The ground angle-loop t i mer started at lift-off and
actuated at T + 6. 1 seconds. The angle tracking loops were closed and vehicle acqui-
sition (lock-on) occurred at T + 6 . 1 seconds. The manual backup angle-loop was closed
at T + 7 seconds. The signal strength at t he radar tracking station was satisfactory
throughout flight. Signal strength fluctuations occurred, as expected, during the two-
antenna interference region from T + 40 t o T + 90 seconds when the received signal
strengths from the dorsal and ventral antennas were within 10 decibels of each other.
Radar tracking station data indicated the actual vehicle position wa s continuously tracked
throughout t he flight except for a 0.1-second period at T + 60 seconds. The performance
of t he ground-based computer was satisfactory throughout the countdown and vehicle
flight.
Pr i or t o lift-off, the airborne radio guidance system equipment indicated a received
signal strength of -16 dBm (decibels referenced t o 1 mW). The maximum received si g-
nal strength was -13 dBm at T + 130 seconds and decreased t o -37 dBm by T + 519 sec-
onds. The signal strength received by the vehicle was adequate throughout t he operation
of t he radio guidance system.
All radio guidance system commands were satisfactorily generated by t he computer,
transmitted by the radar tracking station, and received and executed by the vehicle.
Table V-IV shows planned and actual t i mes of al l radio guidance system commands.
TABLE V-IV. - RADIO GUIDANCE SYSTEM
COMMANDS, OGO-VI
Command
Thorad st eer i ng (pitch and yaw):
Commenced
Termi nat ed
Thorad mai n engine cutoff
Thorad-Agena separationa
Agena st eer i ng (pitch and yaw)a:
Commenced
Termi nat ed
Agena engine cutoffa
Ti me f r om
lift-off,
s e c
Planned
124. 3
215. 7
" ~omr na nds t o t he Agena vehicle are di scussed in
Section V I of t hi s report .
219. 9
234. 9
299. 5
522. 2
523.5
Actual
124. 6
213. 9
217.7
233.4
297. 3
517.4
519. 0
Radar transponder and
command receiver
Agena
guidance
and
f l i ght
control
CD-10780-31
Fi gure V-3. - Block diagram of major functi ons of radio guidance system, OGO-VI.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
by Edwin 8. Prscasky and Rader I, Beakon
System Description
The Thorad power requi rement s a r e supplied by t hree 28-volt si l ver-zi nc alkaline
bat t er i es and a 400-hertz rot ary i nvert er (fig. V-4). Distribution boxes a r e located
throughout the vehicle t o facilitate interconnection and switching of el ect ri cal functions.
Two tunnels located externally t o t he propellant tanks a r e used t o rout e cables between
t he t ransi t i on, cent er body, and engine and accessory sections.
The main battery is rat ed at 20 ampere-hours and supplies all t he vehicle power r e-
qui rement s, except f or the t el emet ry syst em and the flight termination syst em. The
power requi rement s for t hese syst ems a r e supplied by two other bat t eri es. The t e-
l emet r y battery, rated at 3 ampere-hours, supplies the t el emet ry syst em and flight
termination subsystem 1 power requirements. The remaining bat t ery, rat ed at
1 ampere-hour, supplies power t o flight termination subsystem 2.
The rot ary i nvert er (a dc motor-driven a c al t ernat or) provides t he 400-hertz
115/208-volt ac, three-phase power. The voltage output and frequency of t he i nvert er
a r e regulated t o 4 . 5 percent. The al t ernat or is Y -connected with a grounded neutral.
System Performance
The main battery supplied t he requi rement s of t he dependent syst ems at normal
voltage levels. The battery voltage at lift-off was 27. 0 volts dc and i ncreased to 28. 4
volts dc by the t i me of Thorad main engine cutoff. The t el emet ry battery supplied power
t o t he t el emet ry syst em and flight termination subsystem 1 at 28. 8 volts dc throughout
flight. The battery which supplied power t o flight termination subsystem 2 was not mon-
i t ored. The rot ary i nvert er performance was satisfactory and was within k1. 5 percent
voltage and frequency t ol erances throughout the Thorad flight. The i nvert er frequency
(aft er lift-off t ransi ent s had stabilized) was 398.4 hertz and i ncreased t o 399. 1 hert z by
t he t i me of main engine cutoff. The i nvert er output voltage was 115. 1 volts dc during
t he flight.
~r Mai n battery
T
I External paver
I External power
Fl i ght termi nati o
system battery -
Fi gure V-4. - Thorad ijower di stri buti on block diagram, OGO-VI.
TELEMURY SVSIW
by Richard I. Greene a nd Richard E, Buzechowoki
Syskern? Ses6;~"iptIon
The Thorad telemetry system consists of two antennas, a frequency modulated (FM)
t ransmi t t er, signal conditioning circuitry, t ransducers, a 28-volt battery, and a multi-
coder. The telemetry system is located in the center body section. The t ransmi t t er
operates on a frequency of 246. 3 megahertz at a power output of 10 watts. The multi-
coder provides pulse duration modulation (PDM) of 43 commutated data channels t o one
FM subcarri er channel. Eight other FM subcarri er channels provide continuous data.
A total of 51 measurements a r e telemetered from the Thorad vehicle. Appendix B
summari zes t he launch vehicle instrumentation by measurement description.
System Performance
All instrumentation measurements returned valid data throughout the flight except
for measurements PDM-1-27 (turbopump speed), PDM-1-28 (turbine inlet temperature),
and PDM-1-35 (rate gyro cover inner-wall temperature). The data from the turbopump
speed measurement PDM- 1 -27 indicated a step change of 200 rpm at T + 111.6 seconds.
Analysis of other propulsion system data verified that no st ep change occurred. Con-
sequently, data from measurement PDM-1-27, after T + 111.6 seconds, a r e considered
t o be invalid. The turbine inlet temperature measurement PDM-1-28 returned anomalous
data near the end of Thorad flight. The temperature sensor for measurement PDM-1-35
malfunctioned pri or to lift-off, and no valid data were obtained. The satisfactory vehicle
performance verified that all these were data anomalies. Radiofrequency signal strength
was adequate during flight, as evidenced by good quality data. Car r i er frequency was
stable, and no data reduction difficulties were encountered. No direct measurements of
telemetry system performance o r of system environment were made. Appendix C
(fig. C-2) shows the specific coverage provided by the supporting telemetry stations.
by Richard h, Greeise and Rkhard E, Ornechowski
System Descri pti on
The Thorad flight termination system (fig. V-5) consists of two identical and r e-
dundant subsystems designed t o destroy t he vehicle on receipt of ground command signals.
Each subsystem includes two antennas (located on opposite si des of the Thorad), a com -
mand recei ver, a safe-arm mechanism, and destructor cords. The antenna locations
a r e shown on figure 111-3. The safe-arm mechanisms a r e armed by lanyards at lift-off.
After lift -off, the range safety officer can command destruction, i f required, by t rans -
mitting a coded signal t o the command recei vers. Each command receiver will supply
an electrical signal t o two detonators in a Thorad safe-arm mechanism and, pr i or t o
Thorad-Agena separation, t o a detonator in the Agena destruct initiator. Either detona-
t or on a safe-arm mechanism will initiate the two destructor cords (one on each side of
the Thorad propellant tanks) and, through other destructor cords, will initiate a shaped
charge on t he forward end of each solid-propellant rocket motor. A 0.1-second time
delay in the Thorad safe-arm mechanisms ensures that the Agena destruct initiator r e-
ceives t he destruct signal before the Thorad is destroyed.
The Agena destruct components a r e discussed in Section VI, COMMUNICATION AND
CONTROL SYSTEM.
System Perf ormance
Both command recei vers in the Thorad flight termination system functioned sat i s-
factorily during flight. The data indicated that the vehicle ibeceived adequate signal
strength for the operation of each flight termination subsystem and that t he signal level
remained essentially constant throughout the period in which destruct capability was r e-
quired. No flight termination commands were required, nor were any commands inad-
vertently generated by any vehicle system.
rSafe-arm mechanism
/
/
Destructor cord leads
Antennas
,
LThorad stage
Subsystem 2
To Agena vehi cl e mechanisl
Fi gure V-5. - Thorad f l i ght termi nati on system, OGO-VI. (Batteri es also shown on fig. V-4.)
VI. AGENA VEHICLE SVSTW PERFORMANCE
VEHICLE STRUCTURE SYSTEM
by Robert N. Reinberger and Roberl W. Yorlc
System Description
The Agena vehicle st ruct ure system (fig. VI-1) consists of four maj or sections: t he
forward section, the propellant tank section, the aft section, and the booster adapter
assembly. Together they provide t he aerodynamic shape, t he st ruct ural support, and
the environmental protection for the vehicle. The forward section is basically an alu-
minum st ruct ure with beryllium and magnesium panels. Thi s section encloses most of
the electrical, guidance, and communication equipment and provides the mechanical and
el ect ri cal interface for the spacecraft adapter and shroud. The propellant tank section
consists of two integral aluminum tanks, with a sump below each tank t o assur e the sup-
ply of propellants for engine st ar t s i n space. The aft section consists of an engine
mounting cone st ruct ure and an equipment mounting rack. The magnesium-alloy booster
adapter section supports the Agena and remains with the Thorad after Thorad-Agena
separation.
System Performance
The measured dynamic environment of the st ruct ure system was within design limits.
The longitudinal oscillation (POGO effect) measured on the Agena st ruct ure at station 247
reached a maximum of 3.90 g's (zero t o peak) at T e 205.03 seconds.
A second-mode longitudinal oscillation occurred (as discussed previously in the
Thorad propulsion and guidance and flight control sections) between T + 110 and T 6
119 seconds. The Agena st ruct ural response to these oscillations was insignificant.
Appendix D present s significant dynamic data at selected t i mes.
ropol l ant t ank secti on
Fi gur e VI-1. - Agena vehi cl e st r uct ur e system, OGO-VI.
SHROUD SYSTW
by Robert N, Rei nberger
Sysbem Descri pti on
The shroud system f or t he 060- VI flight is t he standard Agena cl amshel l (SAC)
shroud with minor mission modifications incorporated. It provides environmental pro-
tection for the spacecraft before launch and during ascent. The SAC shroud (fig. VI-2)
is 5. 72 met er s (18.78 ft) long and weighs 324. 77 kilograms (716 lbm). It consi st s of an
aluminum transition ring and two shroud halves. The shroud halves form a fai ri ng with
a 1 . 6 5-meter (5.42 -ft) di amet er cylindrical section, a 15' half -angle conical section,
and a 0. 61-met er (2-ft) di amet er hemispherical nose cap. The shroud hal ves a r e con-
st ruct ed of fi ber gl ass strengthened by internal aluminum longerons at t he spl i t line and
al so by semi ci rcul ar frames. Microquartz t hermal insulation blankets i n t he cylindrical
section and a foil covering in the conical section of each shroud half provide t hermal pro-
tection for the spacecraft. The shroud halves a r e held together by a nose latch, two flat
bands around the cylindrical section, and a V-band around t he base of t he cylindrical
section. The top, middle, and bottom bands a r e tensioned t o 22 250, 11 570, and
35 600 newtons (5000, 2600, and 8000 lbf), respectively.
The V-band clamps t he shroud t o the transition ring, which is approximately
5. 1 cent i met ers (0.17 ft) high and is bolted t o the forward end of the Agena. Both the
shroud and t he spacecraft adapt er a r e attached t o the transition ring. A met al diaphragm
attached t o the transition ri ng i sol at es the shroud cavity from the Agena. During ascent ,
t hi s cavity is vented through four port s in the cylindrical section of t he shroud. These
por t s a r e equipped with fl appers which permi t venting in ail outward di rect i on only.
Shroud jettison is commanded by the Agena t i mer 10 seconds af t er Agena engine
start. At t hi s t i me, Agena el ect ri cal power is used t o f i r e squibs which actuate the two
pyrotechnic boltcutters in t he nose latch assembly and the two explosive bolts i n each of
the t hr ee bands. The operation of at l east one boltcutter i n the nose latch and one bolt
in each of t he bands is required f or shroud rel ease. Two pai r s of spri ngs i n each shroud
half t hrust against the transition ri ng and provide the energy t o rotate each shroud half
about hinges mounted on the t ransi t i on ring. At the t i me of shroud separation, the Agena
has a longitudinal acceleration of approximately 1 g. At t hi s acceleration level, each
shroud half rot at es through an angle of about 75' before it l eaves t he hinges and falls
f r ee. The shroud separation spri ngs provide sufficient energy t o successfully jettison
the shroud halves at vehicle longitudinal acceleration levels up t o 3. 5 gqs.
The shroud syst em is instrumented with four t emperat ure t ransducers and two pr es -
sur e t r ansducer s. The t emperat ure "cansdueers a r e located on t he inner surface of t he
shroud fiber glass skin at Agerla stations 236.4, f 25.4, 4%. 0, and 26.88 (near. the stag-
n;akioaz point). One pressure transducer nzeasures the differential pressure across tho
shroud wa41 and is located at Agena station 16%. 97; the other pressure transducer meas-
ures the absof~rte pressure In the shroud cavity is 1oc;ited at Agena station 15'7. $8.
System Performance
The performance of the shroud system was satisfactory. The histories of the shroud
internal wall temperatures a r e presented in figure VI - 3. The maximum t emperat ure
measured was 310 K (98' F). This temperature was measured by the t ransducer located
internally near the stagnation point.
The history of the shroud wall differential pressure is presented in figure W-4.
The differential pressure was essentially zer o during the earl y phase of t he flight. During
the transonic phase (T + 30 t o T + 50 sec) of the flight, the differential pr essur e (AP =
'ambient - 'shroud
) increased t o a maximum value of - 1. 62 newtons per square centi-
met er (-2.36 psi). This i ncrease was caused by shock waves on the vehicle during
transonic flight. After the transonic phase, the differential pressure returned t o essen-
tially zer o for the remainder of the flight.
The history of the shroud cavity absolute pressure is presented in figure VI-5. The
absolute pressure decayed during flight, a s predicted, and wa s nearly zer o at T +
120 seconds.
Shroud pyrotechnics were fired at T + 294. 7 seconds, and the shroud was satisfac-
torily jettisoned. The Agena was stable at this t i me, and no measurable Agena roll,
pitch, or yaw rat es developed a s a result of shroud jettison.
CD-10778-31
Figure VI-2. - Standard Agena clamshell shroud, OGO-VI.
Flight time, sec
Fi gure VI -3. - Si i roud i nt ernal wall temperature history, OGO-VI.
Fl i ght time, sec
Fi gure VI-4. - Shroud wall di fferenti al pressure, OGO-VI.
Fi gur e Vi -5 - Shroud cavi t y absolute pressure, OGO- VI
S yslem Description
The Agena propulsion system (fig. VI-6) consists of a propellant tank pressuri zat i on
syst em, a propellant management syst em, and an engine syst em. Also considered t o be
part of the propulsion syst em a r e t he Thorad-Agena separation syst em and the Agena
vehicle pyrotechnic devices.
The propellant tank pressuri zat i on syst em provides t he required propellant tank
pr essur es and consists of a helium supply tank and a pyrotechnically operated helium
control valve. Before lift-off, the ullage volume i n the propellant tanks is pressuri zed
with helium from a ground supply source. The helium control valve is activated 1 . 5 sec-
onds aft er initiation of the Agena engine st ar t t o permi t helium gas to flow from t he supply
tank through fi xed-area ori fi ces to each propellant tank. After the Agena engine cutoff,
the helium control valve is again activated t o isolate the oxidizer tank from the helium
supply. This prevent s the mixing of oxidizer and fuel vapors that could occur i f pr es -
s ur es in the propellant t anks were permitted t o reach the s ame level.
The propellant management syst em consists of the following maj or i t ems: propel -
lant fi l l disconnects t o permi t the loading of fuel and oxidizer, feedlines from t he propel-
lant tanks t o t he engine pumps, and tank sumps t o ret ai n a sufficient amount of propel -
lants f or Agena engine start i n a near-zero-gravity environment.
The Agena engine syst em consists of a liquid-bipropellant engine which uses un-
symmet ri cal dimethylhydrazine as fuel and inhibited red fuming ni t ri c acid as oxidizer.
Rated t hrust i n a vacuum is 71 172 newtons (16 000 lbf) with a nozzle expansion a r e a
ratio of 45. The engine has a regeneratively cooled t hrust chamber, a radiation-cooled
nozzle extension, and a turbopump-fed propellant flow syst em. Turbine rotation is
initiated f or engine start by igniting a solid-propellant start charge. The turbine is
driven during steady-state operation by hot gas produced in a gas generator. Propel l ant s
t o t he gas generat or a r e supplied by the turbopump. Engine t hrust vector control is
provided by t he gimbal-mounted t hrust chamber. Two hydraulic act uat ors provide t he
force f or t hrust chamber pitch and yaw movement in response t o signals produced by the
Agena guidance and flight control syst em.
The Thorad-Agena separation is accomplished by initiating a Mild Detonating Fuse
which sever s the booster adapter circumferentially near the forward end. The Thorad
with boost er adapt er is then separat ed from the Agena by firing two solid-propellant
ret rorocket s mounted on the booster adapt er. Rated average sea-level t hrust of each
ret rorocket is 2180 newtons (490 Xbf) with an action trknie of 0. 93 second. Guide rails on
the booster adapter mate witla rollers on the Agena aft rack t o maintain clearance and
alinerr~exil during separation,
Pyrotechnic devices arc? used to perform a. ntlmber of farnetions on t he Agena, These
devlces rncluede squibs, igniters, detonators, and explosive bolt cartridges. Squibs are
used t o open and close the helium control valve, t o eject t he horizon sensor fairings, and
t o activate shroud boltcutters. Igni t ers a r e used for t he eng5ne solid-propellant s t ar t
charge and for t he ret rorocket s. Detonators a r e used f or the sel f-dest ruct charge and
f or the Mild Detonating Fuse separation charge. Explosive bolt cart ri dges a r e used t o
rupture the rel ease devices f or shroud jettison.
System Performance
The Agena engine start was initiated by the Agena t i mer at T + 284. 7 seconds.
Tel emet ered dat a from the engine switch group monitor indicated a normal start sequence
of the engine control valves. Ninety-percent combustion chamber pr essur e was attained
at T + 285. 9 seconds. The average steady-state t hrust generated by the Agena engine
was 72 791 newtons (16 364 lbf), compared with an expected value of 72 017 newtons
(16 190 lbf). Agena engine cutoff was commanded by t he radio guidacce syst em at T e
519.0 seconds. The engine t hrust duration, measured from 90-percent chamber pr es -
s ur e t o cutoff, was 233. 1 seconds. Thi s was 2. 3 seconds l es s than t he expected value of
235. 4 seconds. The actual t hrust duration and t hrust level indicate that engine per -
formance was within t he allowable l i mi t s.
The propellant t ank pressuri zat i on syst em supplied the required tank pr es s ur es
during the Agena powered phase. Thi s was evidenced by the fuel and oxidizer pump
inlet pr es s ur e val ues, which wer e within I . 4 newtons per square centimeter (2 psi) of the
expected values.
The Thorad-Agena separation syst em performance was normal . Separation was
commanded by t he radio guidance syst em at T + 233.4 seconds. This command resul t ed
i n t he ignition of the Mild Detonating Fuse and the two ret rorocket s. Complete separation
of t he Agena from t he Thorad occurred 2. 6 seconds l at er when t he booster adapt er guide
rails cl eared the last r ol l er s on the Agena aft rack.
All the Agena pyrotechnic devices performed t hei r intended functions satisfactorily.
CD-10227-31
t or vent ur i s
Fi gur e VI-6. - nyer ~a er , ~i r i e propul si on system schematic, OGO-VI.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
by Edwin R. Procaslcy and Bader L, Beaton
System De~~r i pai ~n
The A2:ena electrical syst em (fig. VI-7) supplies all power requi rement s for the
pyrotechnic. propulsion, flight t ermi nat i on, guidance and flight control, radio g~i dance,
and teienletry syst ems. The el ect ri cal syst em consists of the power source equipment,
the power conversion equipment, and the distribution network.
The power source equipment consists of two si l ver-zi nc primary-type bat t eri es
(minimum design rating of 424 W-hr each) and two nickel-cadmium secondary-type bat-
t er i es. One primary-type battery (the main battery) supplies power t o t he main vehicle
loads that use unregulated power and t o the power conversion equipment. The ot her
prl mary-t ype battery (the pyrotechnic battery) supplies power t o all Agena vehicle pyro-
technics, except the dest rtict charges in the flight termination syst em. The pyrotechnic
battery is al so connected t o the rxmb battery through a diode s o that it can support the
load on the main battery. However, the diode i sol at es the main bat t ery loads from pyro-
technic t ransi ent s and from pyrotechnic loads. The two secondary-type bat t eri es a r e
used with the flight termination syst em.
The power conversion equi pn~ent consi st s of one solid-state i nvert er and two dc-dc
convert ers. The power conversion equipment converts unregulated d.c power t o regulated
a c and regulated dc power. The i nvert er supplies 115 volts a c (&2 percent) at 400 hert z
(10.02 percent) t o the guidance and flight control syst em. One dc-dc converter supplies
regulated +28. 3 volts dc t o the guidance and flight control syst em. The other dc-dc con-
ver t er supplies regulated 28. 3 volts dc t o the radio guidance system and t o t he t el emet ry
syst em.
System Perf ormai -%ce
The Agena el ect ri cal syst em satisfactorily supplied power t o all el ect ri cal loads
throughout t he flight, a s indicated by comparison of measured with expected values. The
el ect ri cal syst em performance data a r e summari zed in table VI-I.
The battery (main and pyrotechnic) load profile was as expected f or t hi s mi ssi on.
The l nvert er and converter voltages were within specification at lift-off and remained
esseiirialij1 coils:ant throu -l!lout 'lie fllgki. T!le rnvertkr frequency was not onitored on
i; t. Ayena; '?owever, itle s a t l ~ f ~ t c ~ o r v p e r f o r ~ ; ~ ? ~ ~ c e of :he pui dace and f3lght control sys-
'cir: rntilcated 110 l1Iverit.l f i equencv wr:s normkl and stable.
At appt ' ox~mat el y T + 484 seconds, an Agena pvrotechnlc e~reui t shorted t o the ve-
l?!c!e st ructrrre
Appl ox~mal el y 8 seconds later. t he ei r e ui t wa s opened by a f use-
1 esaslol
5':;~ L e were no pr ogr amp ed events durrng thrs period. Th:s short c ~r c us i (3:d
not affect the per-for' l~~ance oi t he Agena
I Pyr ot echni cs
TABLE VI-I. - AGENA ELECTlUCAL SYSTEM FLIGHT PERFORMANCE SUMMARY, OGO-VI
Pr opul si on,
tel emetry, etc.
Gui dance and
f l i ght cont r ol
Gui dance and
f l i ght cont r ol
\- Di r ect - cur r ent
Tcl crnctry
Ratiio gui dance
Telemetry
r r ent
Spacecraft
L- UL -----___--
Power di st r i but i on j unct i on bx
Measure-
ment
number
C141
C1
C4
C3
C5
C31
C32
C2
BTL6
Measurement
Pyrotechnic bat t ery voltage
Main bat t ery voltage
Battery current , A
Converter output:
t 28. 3-V dc regulated (guidance and flight control)
-28. 3-V dc regulated (guidance and flight control)
Invert er output:
Phase AB. V a c , r ms
Phase BC, V a c , r ms
Converter output:
t 28. 3-V dc regulated (telemetry)
128.3-V dc regulated (radio guidance)
Values at -
< I
< Fl i ght
Secondary-
t er mi nat i on
type batteri es subsystem
I
< I
I
Range
22. 5 t o 29.5
22. 5 t o 29. 5
-------------
27. 7 t o 28.9
-27. 7 t o -28.9
112. 7 t o 117. 3
112.7 t o 117. 3
27. 7 t o 28. 9
27. 7 t o 28.9
Fi gur e VI - 7. - Agena elaitrical system, GGO- VI
Spacecrafl
separatior
27. 0
26. 7
1 3
28. 0
-28. 3
116. 1
114. 5
28. 3
28. 4
Engine cutoff
27. 0
26. 7
13
28.0
-28. 3
116. 1
114. 5
28. 3
28.4
Lift-off
27.0
26. 7
13
28.0
-28.3
116. 1
114.5
28. 3
28. 4
Engine s t ar t
27. 0
26. 3
16
28. 0
-28. 3
116. 1
114. 5
28. 3
28. 4
GUIDANCE AND FLIGHT CONTROL SVSTm
by Howard 8. Jacltson
The Agena flight path is controlled by two i nt errel at ed syst ems: the Agena guidance:
and flight control system and the radio guidance syst em. The Agena guidance and flight
control syst em di rect s the Agena, af t er Thorad-Agena separat i on, in a preprogrammed
open-loop mode. The radio guidance syst em will supply, i f needed, pitch and yaw s t eer -
ing commands during the Agena powered phase. These st eeri ng commands provide cor-
rections f or vehicle deviations from t he desi red t raj ect ory. The radi o guidance system
al so provides a di scret e command f or Agena engine cutoff. The radio guidance syst em
description, location of components, and use during the Thorad phase of flight is pr o-
vided in Section V, GUIDANCE AND FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM.
System Descri pti on
The Agena guidance and flight control syst em consists of t hree subsystems: a
guidance subsyst em, a control subsyst em, and a t i mer t o provide flight programming.
A block diagram of the syst em is shown in figure VI-8.
The Agena guidance subsystem consists of an i nert i al reference package (IRP) ,
horizon sensor s, a velocity met er , and a guidance junction box. AS1 components of the
guidance subsystem a r e located i n the guidance module i n t he Agena fol ward section.
Pr i mar y attitude reference is provided by t hree orthogonal rate-integrating gyros in the
IRP. (These gyros a r e uncaged at Thorad verni er engine cutoff.) The i nfrared horizon
sensor s, consisting of a left and right optical sensor (head) and a mi xer box, provide
pitch and rol l e r r or signals t o the IRP. For t hi s mi ssi on, the pitch horizon sensor si g-
nal is inhibited until aft er Agena engine cutoff. The Agena yaw attitude is referenced t o
the attitude of the vehicle at the t i me of Thorad verni er engine cutoff. The velocity
met er consists of an accel eromet er, an el ect roni cs package, and a counter. The ve-
locity met er accel eromet er senses vehicle longitudinal acceleration. The velocity met er
el ect roni cs processes the acceleration information and produces an output pulse each
time the velociry i ncreases by a fixed i ~ l c r e ~ x e ~ . T!:e e?ocity mz' er counter generat es
an engine cutoff command when a predetermined number of pul ses (i. e. , the sum of the
velocity i ncrement s equals t he total velocity to be gained) have been received. For this
mi ssi on, t he velocity met er engine cutoff command is a backup f or the radio guidance
syst em engine cutoff command. The guidance junction box s er ves as a center for mid-
snce signals and contains rel ays f or c ont ~~ol of operating modes and gains.
The Agena flight control subsyst em. which controls vehicle attitude, conslsts of a
flight cor~t rol elec' lronlcs unit, a pneumatic (cold gas) attitude control svstern. a hydr*aulic
avcitudc i:ol?erol syst el n, and a. fliglrt coi?tl.ol juricilon box. j$ttit.'ci~ip t?i*i"o~~ r,;g?ma'/l; frol i -l
the 1R.p arc; conditioned and amplified bj t he i'lighi col ~t l ' o~ electrolzic:~ t o oi:ei.ate t i l e
cold-gas and hydraulic s ys t ems .
During Agena iloisy;ov~e:.ed flight the e.o]ci --gas systenl
consisting of s& t hrust ers provides roll, pitch, and yaw eoni X O ~ . These thru5tei.s a!.'?
located in the Agena aft section and operate or1 a mixture of nitrogen and Iciraflunro-
methane. During the Agena powered flight, the hydraulic syst em provides pitch and yaw
control by means of two hydraulic actuators which gimbal the Agena engine thrust cham -
ber; and the cold-gas syst em provides rol l control. A patch panel i n the flight control
junction box provides t he means for preprogramming the i nt erconnect i ons of the guidance
and flight control system t o meet nlission requirements.
The Agena t i mer programs the Agena flight events and is operat ed by a t hree-phase
synchronous motor. Thi s t i mer can program 22 usable di s cr et e events. within a max-
imum running time of 6000 seconds. Each event controls a group of switches (two. t hr ee,
or four switches per group) and operat es normally open and nol-mally closed contacts in
each switch. The t i mer mot or i s st art ed before lift-off; however, a brake is engagec!
which prevents the t i mer from operating until it is automatically ~el ea. sed at Thorad
engine cutoff.
The radio guidance system st eeri ng control i s t r ans f er r ed from t he Thorac? t o t he
Agena within the ai rborne control package at Thorad -Agena separat i on. All radio guicl-
ance syst em pitch and yaw st eeri ng colnmands (generated by t he gro~md-based computer
and transmitted to the Agena) a r e then routed to the Agena zuidance and flight control s vs -
t em. The capability of the Agena guidance and fljght systein t o accept radio guidance
system pitch and yaw st eeri ng conzmands is enabled before Agena engine st ar t and di s -
abled aft er Agena engine cutoff, by the Agena t i mer .
The radio guidance system provides the di scret e command to the Agena for cutoff of
the Agena engine. The ground -based coir~puter det ermi nes the time for t hi s di scret e
command7 based on in-fUght performance of the Thorad and t he A, pens.
After the radio guidance system has completed i t s planned period of operation: the
ai rborne components a r e turned off. For t hi s mi ssi on, the Agena t i mer performs this
function 33 seconds aft er the OW- VI separation command.
The guidance and flight control system performance was satisfactory throughout the
t light.
All ill ght ~ ~ e n t s were initiated wlthin tolerance bv t hc Agena timer. A rornparisoll
of t he expeciei?, ant? actual t ~ i i ~ e s of pi ograynnled events is given In appendix A. The rates
imparted t o the Agena a;l Thorad-Agena separatiol? (T 4- 233, 4 see) and the attitude ei r or s
at cold-gas aetiva'cion (T + 236. 0 see) wer e withii, the range of values experienced or,
previous fl i ght s, and are shown in t he following table:
a
Clockwise rol l r at e, see fig. VI-9.
The deadband l i mi t s of the attitude control system wer e &O. 2' pitch, *O. 18' yaw,
and kO. 6' roll. The yaw attitude e r r o r was reduced t o within t he deadband l i mi t within
5. 8 seconds.
At T + 265. 8 seconds, the Agena t i mer initiated a programmed pitchdown rat e of
13. 21 degrees per minute, which was maintained throughout the Agena powered flight.
(See IV. TRAJECTORY AND PERFORMANCE for discussion of pitchdown r at es . ) For
t he Agena powered flight, the radio guidance st eeri ng was enabled i n pitch and ya.w, with
the horizon sensor s controlling only the rol l gyro.
Agena engine st ar t was commanded at T + 284. 7 seconds, and at t hi s t i me the vehicle
was st abl e i n al l axes with l he attitude e r r o r s within the attitude control syst em dead-
bands. Gas generator turbine spinup at Agena engine start resulted in a rol l r at e and
induced a maximum rol l displacement e r r o r as follows:
r ~ o l l r at e, I Maximum roll I Time to reverse I
lal. 82 cw 1 a2. 69 cw 1 2. 0
"clockwise rol l r at e, see fig. VI-9.
deg/sec
Minimal attitude control (hydraulic and cold gas) was required during Agena powered
flight, and the vel ~i cl e at t ~t ude remained very close t o gyro rzual positions, Radio geld-
ance syst em st eeri ng conrnatzds were slight i n both pitch and yaw.
e r r or ,
deg
initial r at e,
s ec
' 1 / \ - 0 3 0 ' s u o ! p u n ~ w a l s A s a : , u e p ! n 6 o ! p e l p u e w e . i 6 e ! p y x l q w a l s A s l o ~ l u o 3 1 4 6 ! 1 j p u e a : , u e p ! n 6 e u a 6 i j - ' 8 - I / \ a . i n 6 ! j
I S - L L L O I - a 3
s p u e w w o : , 6 u ! . 1 a a l s M ~ A
u a l s A s a : , u e p ! n b o ! p e t l
( j ~ o i n : , a u ! 6 u a . i a ! u J a i \ p e j o q l w o . i ) )
p u e w w o : , s o ~ h 6 a 6 e : , u n
s p u e w w o : , 6 u ! . i a a j s
q 3 j ! d w a l s h s a s u e p ! n b o ! p e x
( i ~ o l n : , a u i 6 u a u ! e w p e ~ o q l w o J ] )
p u e w w o 3 p e l s . i a w ! l
- x a A n a u - e r u ~ - e h , 0 6 p a " r u x - e ~ 2 o c r d - e p a u r a o j c r a d e u a 8 v a y J ' u o l $ e c r - e d a s u - 0 3 0
0 1 ~ u a n b a s q n s e u o q - e ~ e d a s u - 0 3 0 1 - e s ~ l u r q p u e q p - e a p a y ? U I ~ J I M a c r a M s J o c r c r a a p n l g
- 3 ~ * u o q - e ~ e d a s u - 0 3 0 ~ o j ( l e q u o z ~ c r o y l - e a 0 1 a y ~ O J l a l l e c r ~ d s ~ x e ~ - e u : p n ? : 8 u 0 1 ) a p n + : J p
~ a d o ~ d a y ? p a u l e J 7 - e a l : , l y a ~ a y ? ~ e y ) ~ o y s e 7 - e p ~ O J J U O ~ a p n 7 g J - e p u - e ' o . 1 A . 2 ' c r o s u a s u o z r c r o H
. ( a ) z ~ : , r ~ ) u a : , o a S ) u ~ o p y : , q l d a J n u y e u c r a d s a a ~ 2 a p p c j ' g 0 7 p a s u - e y a a p c r y : , ~ l d p a r u r u e c r 2
- o ~ d a y l ' j j o q n : , a u g u a J a 7 j - e s p u o : , a s
- 8 9 ~ F J ' l - e J u o z l J o y ~ - e : , o l a q J O J p a d s a ~ Y J ~ M S I X Z
l " e u r p n ~ $ 3 u o l a p r y a ~ a y ) J u a r a o h l ; r a d o . x d o ) O J B q 3 ~ 1 d a y q 0 3 p a p a u u o : , s s ~ c r o s u a s u o z ~ c r o y
y 3 ) ~ d a y ? " l s n o a u r r $ ~ n u r : ~ . c l n y : , g d a ) n u : u r a d s a a ~ S a p X Z 0 3 p a 8 u " e y : , ~ Z M a 7 - e . z y 3 g d
p a r x r r x r e ~ . 8 o , s d a q a ' j j o 3 n 3 a u j 3 u a ~ r r a S $ i , x a g r : s p u o m s L - 1 1 J V ' s p u o a a s - p ~ r r ; p r r - e q p z a p
~ - ~ ~ a l s d s 1 o . i - ? u o . ; i a p n g ~ ; ~ a i . 1 ~ r r - i i ~ i . r ~ 0 3 p a m p a 2 s s e i u i f u a l s r r e 2 3 ~ [ o J . [ ' S U - ~ J O U " ~ s T M ~ ~ o c ' ~
- ~ a ~ u n o : , 6 ; : * g S E & ( d ~ 3 a p p i n z q x a a u e q - - n J p u z t r ~ o p r r r d s a u r q ; r n a " a T ) j y o 3 n 3 a u - @ u a B ; q
0 -
p a s m r , . ) t r a r j s r e z ; i J 1 p - r a q & ' $ u a m a n w r 6 q ! a o l a ~ p a ~ i j r ~ b a ~ a q l p a m 1 e ) q z p - e q % u a % - \ j a q J u a r j m
s p w o a a s 0 . . $ J s - r - 3 , 1 1 : p u e u r u o ; , u r a q s h s a ; , u z p y n S 0 y p - w i i 6 q p a a ~ n a a o j - ; o ) n z ~ a r r ; @ r r g
yaw axis
-TI
OGO-VI. (Clockwise (cw) and .
Figure VI-9 - R~, , ,
axes and vehi cl e movement designation5,
ciocl(wiV lccw) r o applies when I00kiilg forwar0 along the Ongitudina
COMMUNICATION AND CONTROL SY SaTElill
by Richard L, Greene
System Description
The Agena communications and control syst em consists of t el emet ry, tracking, and
flight termination subsyst ems with associated power supplies and cabling.
The t el emet ry subsystem is mounted in the Agena forward section. It moni t ors and
t ransmi t s the Agena functional and environmental measurement s during flight. The f r e-
quency modulation/frequency modulation (FM/FM) t el emet ry unit contains a t r ansmi t t er ,
voltage-controlled osci i l at ors, a cummutator, a switch and calibrate unit, a radi ofre-
quency (RF) switch, and an antenna. Regulated 28 volts dc power f or t el emet ry is sup-
plied from a dc-dc converter. The RF switch connects the t el emet ry output ei t her t o the
umbilical f or ground checkout o r t o the antenna f or flight. The t ransmi t t er operat es on a
frequency of 244. 3 megahertz at a power output of 2 watts. The t el emet ry subsystem
consists of ten continuous subcar r i er channels and two comnlutated subcar r i er channels.
A total of 62 measurement s is t el emet ered f r om the Agena vehicle. Appendix B sum-
mar i zes t he launch vehicle instrumentation by measurement description. Five continuous
subcar r i er channels a r e used f or acceleration and vibration dat a, t hr ee continuous chan-
nels a r e used f or radio guidance syst em measurement s, one continuous channel f or gas
t hr ust er valve activity, and one continuous channel is t i me-shared by the velocity met er
accel eromet er and the velocity met er counter. The turbine speed signal does not utilize
a subcar r i er channel but di rect l y modulates the t ransmi t t er during engine operation.
The remaining 50 measurement s a r e monitored on the two commutated subcar r i er chan-
nels. These channels a r e commutated at five revolutions per second with 60 segment s on
each channel.
The ai rborne t racki ng subsystem includes a C-band r adar t ransponder, an RF
switch, and an antenna. The transponder recei ves coded signals from t he t racki ng r adar
on a car r i er frequency of 56 30 megahertz and t r ansmi t s coded responses on a car r i er
frequency of 5555 megahertz at a minimum pulsed-power output of 200 watts at the input
t ermi nal s of the antenna. The coded responses a r e at pulse r at es (pulse repetition f r e-
quency) from 0 t o 1600 pul ses per second. The pulse r at e is dependent upon the rates
t ransmi t t ed from the ground t racki ng stations and the number of stations simultaneously
interrogating the transponder. The RF switch connects the output of the transponder
ei t her t o the umbilical for gro~lrid checkout o r t o the antenna f or flight.
The Agena flight termination subsystem (located on the booster adapter) provides a
range safety flight termination capability for the Agena from lift -off until Thorad-Agena
separation. Thi s stibsystern i s composed of two bat t eri es, interconnecting wiring assern-
bl j es, two separation switches, a dest ruct initiator with two detonahors, and a des t met
charge, Flight termination can be initiated by a signal ei t her from t he Thorad commmd
recei vers pri or t o Thorad-Agena separation, o r automatically i f Thorad-Agena separ -
atior: occurs before Thorad main engine cutoff (i. e. , premat urel y). The automatic por-
tion of the syst em is disabled at Thosad main en@ne cutoff t o permi t a normal Thorad-
Agena separation.
A time -delay circuit in the Thorad safe -arm mechanisms ensures destruction of
both stages by delaying Thorad destruct initiation until 0. 1 second after Agena destruct
initiation. Agena destruct is effected by ignition of a shaped charge, mounted on the
booster adapter, which ruptures the propellant tanks and causes mixing of the hypergolic
propellants.
System Perfo rrnance
The telemetry subsystem performance was satisfactory throughout the flight. Signal
strength data from all ground telemetry stations indicated an adequate and continuous
signal level from t he vehicle telemetry t ransmi t t er from lift-off through the Agena yaw
maneuver. Analysis of the telemetry data indicated that the performance of the voltage-
controlled oscillators, t he switch and calibrate unit, the dc-dc converter, and the com-
mutator were satisfactory. Usable data were obtained from all Agena telemetered in-
strumentation. Appendix C (fig. C-2) presents the coverage provided by t he supporting
telemetry stations.
The tracking subsystem performance was satisfactory throughout the flight. The
C-band transponder transmitted a continuous response to received interrogations for the
required tracking periods.
The Agena flight termination subsystem was not monitored during flight. However,
because of the system redundancy, it is assumed the system was capable of destructing
the Agena throughout the Thorad powered phase.
VII. LAUNCH OPERATIONS
by Frank E. Gue
PRELAUNCH ACTlVlTIES
The maj or prelaunch events at the West ern Test Range (WTR) a r e shown i n
table VII-I. During prelaunch t est s, the following significant probl ems occurred and
wer e satisfactorily resolved:
(1) An el ect ri cal short was found i n t he Thorad vehicle wi r e harness that connects
the control electronic assembl y t o t he r at e distribution junction box. The harness was
replaced.
(2) An el ect ri cal short in t he Thorad-fuel-tank-pressurizing solenoid valve caused
damage t o t he vehicle dc junction box. Thi s valve and an identical redundant valve wer e
replaced with modified valves. The dc junction box was removed from the vehicle, r e-
pai red, and reinstalled.
(3) The Thorad control el ect roni cs assembly was replaced because of unexplained
t ransi ent voltages.
(4) The Agena i nvert er was replaced because of an out-of-specification voltage on
phase BC.
(5) The Agena flight control el ect roni cs assembl y was replaced because of i nt er-
mittent noise on the yaw servomonitor channel.
COUNTDOWN AND LAUNCH
The Thorad-Agena successfully lifted off with 060- VI from Space Launch Complex
2 East , Vandenberg Ai r Force Base, on June 5, 1969 at 0642:45. 37 Pacific st andard
t i me. No significant vehicle or ground syst em probl ems wer e encountered during the
countdown. One technical hold of 10 minutes duration was imposed at T + 7 minutes.
Thi s hold was required because of an antenna problem on t he Range Instrumentation Ship
Swordknot.
TABLE VII-I. - MAJOR PRELAUNCH EVENTS, OGO-VI
Date
9/19/68
3/03/69
3/29/69
4/24/69
4/28/69
5/09/69
5/12/69
5/14/69
5/22/69
6/04/69
6/05/69
Event
Thorad ar r i ved at Vandenberg Ai r For ce Base
Agena ar r i ved at Vandenberg Ai r For ce Base
Spacecraft ar r i ved a t Vandenberg Ai r For ce Base
Thorad on stand
Agena on st and
Thorad-Agena mat i ng
Thorad-Agena erect i on
Agena-spacecraft mat i ng
Simulated countdown
Countdown initiation
Launch
VPPI, CONCLUDING R%rIr\ARI(S --
The Orbiting Geophysical Observatory VI (OGO-VI) was the last i n a s er i es of si x
planned mi ssi ons f or the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory Program and was launched on
June 5, 1969.
The Thorad-Agena launch vehicle successfully placed the 620-kilograrr scientific
experimentation sat el l i t e into the desi red near-polar elliptical orbi t with a peri gee al-
titude of 399 ki l omet ers and an apogee altitude of 1099 kilonleters, at an inclinafion of
82' t o t he equator. The sat el l i t e will perform 26 different experiments designed t o
gather scientific dat a on neut ral and charged part i cl es, on cosmi c rays, on magnetic
fields, and on vari ous ot her ionsphere phenomenon.
Lewis Research Cent er,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
Cleveland, Ohio, May 19, 1970,
493-01.
APPENDIX A
SEQUENCE OF MAJOR FL1GW- EVENTS, OGQ-\/I
by Richard b. Greene
Pullaway plug Radio h-idance s t eer i ns rel ay (BTLS:
izon s ens or rol l output t o rol l g r o
Pitch torque r at e (D73)
Radio guidance
Pitch torque r at e (D73)
s ens or pitch output t o pitch gyro
Pitch torque r at e (D73)
Spacecraft separat i on monitor (PL60)
a ~ l l events except those noted were nlo~litored on Ageua t el emet ry. The desipiation in parentheses is the nlonitor measurement designation.
(See appendix B for the n~e a s ur e n~e nt range and clian~iel assi gmnent . )
b ~ h e s e events wer e identified from the Thorad t el emet ry data.
di rect n~e a s ur e n~e nt t o identify the event.
Nonlinal
t i me,
s e c
0
38. 6
102. 0
219. 9
219.9
228. 9
235. 4
Actual
t i me,
s e c
0
37. 2
102. 1
217. 7
217. 7
226. 7
233. 4
Event
Lift-off (0642:45. 37 pst)
Solid-propellant rocket tnotor burnout
Solid-propellant rocket motor case jettison
Thorad nlain engiiie cutoff
Start Agena t i mer
Verni er engine cutoff and Agena horizon sensor fai ri ng jettison
Thorad-Agena separation
Initiated by -
-.--.-.--------------..
-----------------.----.
Thorad t i mer
Radio guidance
Tt ~or a d main engine cutoff
Tllorad time-delay relay
Radio ,wi<iance
Event monitora
Lift-off switch
Solid-motor chaniber pressureb
Sequence 3b
Main engine chamber pressureb
Guidance and control n~oni t or (D14)
Vernier engine chamber pressureb
Longitudinal accel erat i on (PL30)
-

-

t
,
,
,

,
,
,
,
,

.b

b
~
&
&
&
?
P
P
,
$
~
~
r
P

w

N
N
N

N
N

*

,
w
p

.

.

.

-
.

0
0
0
.

F
-
0

v
v

0

0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
*
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0

0

?

~
3
0
0
0
0
0
w
w
0
0
m
v

0

0

0

F
5
'
6
6
6
6
6
8
6
6
B
6
8

6
6
6
5
'
~
6
6
6
8
6
6
B
B
6
B
6
5
'
5
'
6
6
6
6
8
5
'
~
6
S
~
B
6
6
6
5
'

5
'
B

8
6
5
'
*
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
o
w
m
m

m
r
r
m
r
w
w
w
m
N
m
r
,

o
*
p
m
r
r
?
$
m
,
m
N
*
,

.
b
m
r
F
y
r
m
m

.

w
~
~
~
-
,
w
y
m
~
-

N
-
O
-

m
y
m
y
.

m
m
m

r

g

$
"
w
*

=

o
o
m
m
m

w
.

-
.

<
<
Z
Z
<
z
F
F

0
0
0
0
-
y
r

Z
?
Z
8
?
%
6
o
~
~
X
~
~
b
X
X
X
X
X
X
Z
Z
b
o
o
o
.

o

0
.

r

0
%
:
:

o

.

E
.
.

a
.

m
w

m
7
z

%
S
f

i
D
m

<
m
h
~
.
"
c
<
<
z

d
<
<
<
g
g
g
g
g
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
O

<

4
;

2
;

<
-

e
;
B

E
:
z

x
;
z
<
,

L
C
2

5
%
~

?
%
a
k
n

,

r
m
r
+
o
s
O
-
*

3

\

$
2
2
2
2

S
>
>

3
1
C
J

N
I
N

N

N

z
3
_

$

m
m
m
m
o

?

8

3

i
l

N

N

N

N

"
"
"
O
D

N
N
N

N

w

2

AGENA TELEMETRY
-- --
273 lo 533 K
0 t o 100 psi
0 to 100 psi
010 1500 psi
0 t o 1500 psi
255 to 311 K
475 t o 550 psi
-70 to 0 dBm
22 to 30 V dc
22 to 30 V dc
22 to 30 V dc
22 to 30 V dc
-30 t o -22 V dc
90 to 130 v ac
90 t o 130 I' ac
22 t o 30 V dc
-200 to 200 deglmin
228 to 367 K
0 t o 4000 psi
0 to 4000 psi
Pitch gyro output
Velocity -meter acceleronlettr
0 t o 2000 pulses/sec
Binary code (50 bits,isec)
255 t o 341 K
0 to 1600 pulses/sec
niuiaied posirion ioi. the measureiiieni. if no secoud iiu~nlici. i s iidicatrd. thr cliaruiel mas used cot~tinuously for tlicz desig~iated transducpl..
!'Evt-iiis arc deternrined by a step ctiangr ill voltage.
cTlic. tu,l,ine sprtil stk~x~1 does not iiiilrzi' a suiicari.ii-r r i ; n mi ~ I hiit ilireitly modiilates ihe rr. iiisroiii~r dur i i i s ciiliine ugcration.
(Iti iiiiiqiir l.oJtaqe level is ossofiateci ujitli ; mj 7 oiw o? .r riii?itiin.iti<)n of scvi.i.;ll cab vziivv tiri~lx-'
APPENDIX C
TRACI<lNG AND DATA ACQUISITION
by Richard L. Greene
The launch vehicle trajectory a s projected on a world map is presented in figure C-1.
The land based radar and telemetry tracking stations that provided dat a coverage for
the ascent phase of OGO-VI were the Western Test Range and t he NASA Telemetry
Station at Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Point Mugu and San Nicolas Island stations
at Pacific Missile Range, and the Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN) station at
Guaymas, Mexico. In addition t o these land stations, a Range Instrumentation Ship (RIS
Swordknot) located in the Pacific Ocean provided telemetry coverage. The Agena final
orbit, af t er OGO-VI - Agena separation, was determined by radar data coverage pro-
vided by the Eastern Test Range (ETR) station at Pret ori a, South Africa.
TELEMETRY DATA
Telemetry signals from the Thorad-Agena launch vehicle were received and r e-
corded on magnetic tape at tracking stations continuously from lift-off through the Agena
yaw maneuver that followed OGO-VI - Agena separation. The data recorded on magnetic
tape at each supporting station were used for postflight analysis of the launch vehicle
performance. Real-time monitoring at t he launch si t e of al l Thorad and Agena telemetry
measurements from lift-off through Agena engine cutoff, permitted verification of the
occurrence of the launch vehicle flight events and a quick-look evaluation of the launch
vehicle performance. OGO-VI - Agena separation and the Agena yaw maneuver were
monitored by the RIS Swordknot and the MSFN station at Guaymas. The t i mes for OGO-
VI - Agena separation and for the yaw maneuver were voice-reported t o Vandenberg Air
Force Base by radio and cable communi cat i o~~ circuits. Figure C-2 shows the specific
t i me internal of telemetry coverage provided by each station.
RADAR DATA
C-band radar data (time, elevation, azimuth, and range) were provided for both
real-time operations and postflight analysis. The radar data was processed i n real time
to permi t monitoring the lauracb vehicle flight performance for range safety purposes and
f o r generating information to assist t he Pretoria station in aeqrriring radar track of the
vehicle approximately one-half orbi t after injection. These dat a wer e al so used for
coi11putation of orbital ele11-p ents and i n jeetion conditions after Agena engine cutoff, and f or
the Agena final orbit after OW- VI - Agena separation. F i wr e 6 - 3 shows t he specific
t i me intervals of radar coverage provided by each uf "t he supporting stations.
Telemetry stations:
Swordknot (RIS)
Guayrnas, Mexico (MSFN)
Poi nt Mugu (PMR)
San Nicolas l sl and (PMR)
NASA t el emet ry (WTR)
Vandenberg AFB (WTR)
Radar t r acki ng stations:
Pret ori a (ETR)
Poi nt Mugu (PMR)
San Nicolas I sl and (PMR)
Vandenberg AFB (WTR)
Solid-propellant rocket mot01 bur nout
Sol ~d-propel l ant rockei motor case j et i l soi ~
Tiiorad mai n cngl ne cut of f
Tilorad-Aqena separation
Agena engi ne st art
Shr oud separation
Agena engi ne cut of f
1 Agena - OGO-VI separation
St art Agena yaw maneuver
Stop Hgena yaw maneuver
Time af t er l i f t of f , sec
Fi gure C-2. - Launch vehi cl e t el emet ry coverage, OGO-VI.
I I
Solid-pronellant rocket motor case j et t i son
Agena engi ne st art
Time af t er liftoff, sec
Fi gure C-3. - Launch vehi cl e radar coveraqe, OGO-VI .
APPENDI X D
VEHICLE FLIGHT DYNAMICS
- " -
by Dana H. Benjamin
Flight dynamics data were obtained from t hree accel eromet ers installed in t he
Agena forward section and from two vibration transducers on the spacecraft adapter.
A summary of dynamic instrumentation locations and characteristics is presented i n
figure D-1.
Table D-l presents the actual flight t i mes at which significant dynamic disturbances
were recorded. Table ID-I1 shows the maximum acceleration levels and corresponding
frequencies recorded at t i mes of significant dynamic disturbances during flight. All
acceleration levels a r e shown in g's zer o t o peak.
Data t r aces of t he dynamic environment recorded by all five instruments for the
events summarized in table D-I1 a r e presented in figures D-2 to D-12.
TABLE D-I. - SUMMARY OF DYNAMIC
DISTURBANCES, OGO -VI
di st urbance.
s e c af t er lift-off
Duri ng t ransoni c region
Solid-propellant rocket mot or case jettison
Peak longitudinal oscillation (POGO)
Thorad mai n engine cutoff
Agena horizon sensor fai ri ng jettison
Thorad-Agena separat i on
Agena engine s t ar t
Shroud separat i on
Agena engine cutoff
TABLE D-11. - SUMMARY OF PYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT. OW- VI
Dynamic di st urbance
Lift-off
Duri ng t ransoni c region
di st urbance,
Solid-propellant rocket mot or case jettison 102.37
Feali longitudinal oscillation (POGO) 205. 03
Tllorad nlalii engine cutoff 217.90
Agcila hor ~z on sensor fai ri ng jettison 226.70
Thorad-Agena separat i on 233.40
hgena engine s t a r t
Sllroud s e pa r a t ~on
Agena englne cutoff
Accel eromet er Vi broni et er
Channel 10 1 Channel 11 I Channel 12 1 Channel 17 1 Clian~icl 18
Measurement
PL-31 PL-30 PL-33 PL-22 PL-20
Radial Longitudinal Radial Lat er al Longitudii1:ai
(Y-axis) (X-axis) ( 2 -axis) ( 2 -axis) (X-axis)
Yndi cat es frequenci es and accel erat i on l evel s of two o r mor e superi mposed vi brat i ons.
'NO detectable response.
'Steady-state value.
' ~ l n c ~ e pul se.
e ~ h e amplitude of one "spike" exceeded t he 5 g' s i nst rument at i on calibration.
Channel 10
Radial yaw
accel erometer
-".h-i'.zri\--./4d
-. . .-
75 c m (30 i n. )-'
+z
Secti on A-A
(stati on 227)
Secti on P-P
(stati on 247)
Channel I1
Longi t udi nal
accel erometer
Channel
10
11
12
17
18
L
-4 --
I I
Channel 12
Radial pi t ch
- I accel erometer
V)
m
c- -55
0
.-
52,
9 Longi t udi nal
' 1 axi s vibromeier
I
Measur ement
L
0.1 sec I
-52
Frequency
reSpO"ee,
Hz
Ot o130
0 t o 130
0 t o 130
20 t o 1500
20 t o 2000
Descri pti on
Y-axis
accel erati on
X-axis
accel erati on
Z-axi s
accel erati on
Z-axi s
vi br at i on
X-axis
vi br at i on
Fi gur e D-2. - Dynami c data near lift-off, OGC VI.
Fi gur e D-I. - Dynami c i nst r ument at i on location, OGO-VI.
Range,
9' s
f 5
-4 to +12
f 5
150
i 5 0
Number
PL31
PL30
PL33
PL22
PL20
Tr ansducer
sensi ti ve
axi s
Ydi r ec t i on
X- di r ect i on
Z- di r ect i on
Z- di r ect i on
X- di r ect i on
Station'
247
247
247
227
227
Fi gure D-4. - Dynamic data near solid-propellant rockd
motor case jettison, OGO-VI.
Channel 10
Radial yaw
accelerometer
. -
Channel 12
Radial pi tch
accelerometer
55 Channel 17
Yaw axis
vibrometer
g- -55
.= 52
e
n
.- Longi tudi nal
> axis vibrometer
L
0.1 sec
-52
Fi gure D-5. - Dynamic data at peak l ongi tudi nal oscillation
(POGO), OGO-VI.
Channel 18
Longitudinal
Fi gure D-6. - Dynamic data near Thorad mai n engine
cutoff, OGO-VI.
Fi gure D-7. - Dynamic data at Agena hori zon sensor
f ai ri ng jettison, OGO-VI.
Fi gure D-8. - Dynamic data at Thorad-Agena separa-
t i on, OGO-VI.
Channel 10
Radial yaw
accelerometer
, . , - ---2
Channel 11
Longi tudi nal
accelerometer
" I
( 1 1 ' I ,
I I I I ://%w;~!\
Channel 12
Radial pi tch
accelerometer
Fi gure D-9. - Dynamic data near Agena engine
start, OGO-VI.
Fi gure D-10. - Dynamic data at shroud separation,
OGO-VI.
Figure D-11. - Dynamic data at Agena engine cutoff,
OGO-VI.
Figure 0-12. - Dynamic data at Agena-spacecraft separation, OGO-VI.
I-;; * -
- -7
- -
I.=-===.;
1:, I '>- . .
NASA ! 3 CI E mC AP&D TECHNCW PmHUTTONS
TR-GAL M W W D U w :
Infosmtiam receiving h i r e d dl s~i buch
because of preliminary data, seclirity dassiha-
tim, or C M ~ z ~ s .
GO1VTBACTOR RiEWRTS: Scientific nad
t echi d infmmtian generaced w d ~ e a NASA
cmttact cia gant and cmsiderpd an important
-
cm~ri bni tk ta existing bwMe . - --- - -
~ ~ L ) L O G Y UTlEmTJm
PUBLICATIONS: lnfcx9atioa sn mhnobgy
t z d by. tht miy I>e d particular
interm in cmmw~iaat a d o t k ncm-a-
apphrimr, P ~ k ~ i ~ ~ itdude Tech BriefsS
T~chmbgy Utilization Repozts aod
Te@h~@agy Sutvqs. . -