4 stage vehicle consisting of 4 x Castor 4B + 2 x Castor 4B + 1 x Castor 4B + 1 x Star 48V

Manufacturer: EER Systems. Launches: 1. Failures: 1. Success Rate: 0.00%. First Launch Date: 1995-10-23. Last Launch Date: 1995-10-23. Launch data is: complete. LEO Payload: 900 kg (1,980 lb). Apogee: 450 km (270 mi). Associated Spacecraft: Meteor (USA). Liftoff Thrust: 1,580.000 kN (355,190 lbf). Total Mass: 87,400 kg (192,600 lb). Core Diameter: 1.02 m (3.34 ft). Total Length: 15.20 m (49.80 ft).

1995 October 23 - 22:03 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: LA0. Launch Pad: LA0A. Launch Vehicle: Conestoga 1620. Model: Conestoga 1620. LV Configuration: Conestoga 1620 F1. FAILURE: Noise in guidance system led to excessive steering of one of the booster motors and finally depletion of the motor's hydraulic fluid. The vehicle went out of control at T+46 seconds.

• Meteor Nation: USA. Payload: Meteor SM. Class: Earth. Type: Weather. Spacecraft: Meteor (USA). Agency: EER. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). COSPAR: F951023A. Decay Date: 1995-10-23. At T+44.4 seconds the vehicle started a turn to the south and pitched down. The ISDS destruct system commanded the destruct packages at T+46.202 seconds. The ISDS failed to operate on two Castor 4 stage 1 motors but operated on the other four. At T+47.67 sec the ISDS destroyed a non-burning Castor 4B motor. The third stage Castor 4B and fourth stage Star 48 were not destroyed and impacted in the ocean. Cause of the failure was identified as the flight control system attempting to respond to noise being received on a data line, resulting in early depletion of hydraulic control steering fluid on stage 1 motor 6.References: 5.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.