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Titan 34D Interstage Coupler (51825282091).jpg

From Spacefaring

Original file (5,218 × 2,784 pixels, file size: 11.96 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

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Summary

Description
English: Wreckage from the 1986 explosion moments after liftoff from Vandenberg AFB, this is structural skin and longeron pieces from the core interstage., aluminum rended apart from the explosion. The Titan 34D was the largest unmanned U.S. rocket at the time.

From Wikipedia: "The investigation indicated the right solid rocket motor rupturing starting at T+6 seconds with the resulting torque on the launch vehicle caused the left SRM to break away. This triggered its automatic destruct system, blowing Stage 1 to pieces and rupturing Stage 2's N2O4 tank. The upper stages were ejected and launched through the air until a manual destruct command was sent by the range safety officer at T+20 seconds. The KH-9 was also blown up by its internal self-destruct mechanism, which was designed to destroy the classified satellite in the event of a launch malfunction. Debris rained onto SLC-4E, badly damaging the launch complex in the process and starting numerous small fires, some of which burned for up to two days."

It made a large story in the NYT at the time.
Date Taken on 3 July 2021, 12:28:04
Source Titan 34D Interstage Coupler
Author jurvetson
Flickr set
InfoField
Space Collection 🚀
Flickr tags
InfoField
1986; explosion; 34d; titan; interstage; hull; vandenberg

Licensing

w:en:Creative Commons
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This image was originally posted to Flickr by jurvetson at https://flickr.com/photos/44124348109@N01/51825282091. It was reviewed on 31 January 2025 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

31 January 2025

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Wreckage from the 1986 explosion moments after liftoff from Vandenberg AFB, this is structural skin and longeron pieces from the core interstage., aluminum rended apart from the explosion. The Titan 34D was the largest unmanned U.S.

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image/jpeg

2,784 pixel

5,218 pixel

12,544,560 byte

b95fae328f0097d3f8925a137031548e4a413a80

3 July 2021

17 January 2022

5cev1ds7du35pvcbsoba0s5tk1vvi2exte003haci0k0ewa1aa

0.025 second

8.8 millimetre

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