Launch Failure

Liftoff Time (GMT)

10:53:00

Thursday May 29, 1980

Mission Details

Launch Notes

A loose seal resulted in the B-1 turbopump flooding and low booster engine thrust; the sustainer engine compensated by extending its burn time, but the upper stage ignited while still attached to the Atlas and was left in a useless orbit.

NOAA-B

Wiki

NOAA-B was a spacecraft in the TIROS-N series launched by NASA. Intended for a Sun-synchronous orbit, the spacecraft entered a lower, elliptical orbit due to a launch vehicle malfunction resulting in a failed mission. Had the launch been successful it would have been designated NOAA-7.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

1,405 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Atlas-E/F Star-37S-ISS

Active 1978 to 1995


Stages

2

Launch Site

SLC-3W

Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

Fastest Turnaround

17 days 21 hours

Stats

Atlas-Star


4th

Mission

1st

Mission of 1980

1980


44th

Orbital launch attempt