Titan, Delta Failures Force Sweeping Reviews

摘要

A sweeping government/industry reassessment of U.S. space launch capabilities and processes will result from back-to-back failures of the U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin Titan Ⅳ and Boeing Delta Ⅲ boosters, delaying major U.S. unmanned launch operations. Three successive Titan Ⅳ mission failures, an Athena failure and two straight mission losses of the large new commercial Delta Ⅲ, including its latest mishap May 4, mark the worst string of major U.S. launch accidents in 13 years. In addition to rocking U.S. space management, the mishaps could also damage U.S. commercial launch competitiveness.