FLIGHT NO: 2-40-72 DATE OF REPORT: July 26, 1965
PILOT: John B. McKay DATE OF FLIGHT: July 8, 1965
CARRIER AIRCRAFT: B-52 #003 LAUNCH LAKE: Delamar
ENGINE: S/N 103 APU #1 7 AN APU #2 22AN
PURPOSE OF FLIGHT: (1) Star Tracker
(2) Altitude Buildup
I. Discussion of Previous Operations
B. High lock-up pressure of the Lox tank regulator during last flight resulted in replacement of that component prior to this flight.
B. An ultra-violet spectrometer was installed on the Star Tracker camera platform for a U.V. frequency survey of the sky background.
C. An ablator test installation was made on the lower speed brakes, the ventral leading edge, and a section of the Lox tank skin, to test the feasibility of applying ablation material over a pressure sensitive tape (for easy stripping and clean-up after flight).
B. A flight scheduled on the following Thursday, July l, 1965 was canceled after partial servicing, due to a burning odor originating in the equipment bay. The pilot's suit vent heater had inadvertently been switched on to the "high" position and had overheated since there was no gas flow through the heater at that time. Inspection of the heater required removal of the elevator. No significant damage was noted and the elevator was reinstalled late the same day.
C. A flight scheduled for Friday, July 2, 1965, ended in abort (2-A-71) when the stable platform failed to accept updating signals from the B-52. Inspection of the umbilical connector revealed a loose connection at the terminal appropriate to the observed malfunction. The terminal was secured and flight rescheduled for Wednesday, July 7, 1965.
D. The flight scheduled for Wednesday, was canceled just prior to B-52 takeoff when it became apparent that delays caused by repair of a B-52 fuel leak had put the target for the Star Tracker out of range of the X-15 roll limits currently in effect for the Star Tracker maneuver (40°).
Perry V. Row William P. Albrecht
X-15 Senior Project Engineer X-15 Project Engineer