A Titan IV(401)A carrying a classified NRO Mercury (Advanced Vortex) signals-intelligence satellite suffered a short circuit in its guidance system about 42 seconds after liftoff, causing premature booster separation and self-destruction of the vehicle over the Atlantic; the satellite and rocket, worth over $1 billion combined, were lost.
- Outcome
- Failure
- Orbit
- Direct-GEO
- Geostationary orbit
- Payload to orbit
- Did not reach orbit
- Flight
- 9th
- of 9 Titan 401A Centaur flights
- Date and time
- 12 August 1998, 11:30 UTC
- Rocket
- Titan 401A Centaur
- Builder
- LM
- Launch site
- Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
- Payload
- Government/Top Secret
- Launches in 1998
- 48th of 82