V¥,. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
A, MISSILE PERFORMANCE.
1. To date 30 Redstone missiles have been fired.# These firings
have afforded function and component testing as follows:
Guidance System
13 Missiles
Separation and Expulsion
Structure
27 Missiles
29 Missiles
Control System
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29 Missiles
Engine and Accessories
18 Missiles
(12 of the 30 flights were with a now discontinued engine)
2. Based on the above firings, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency has
evaluated the performance probabilities of the HARDTACK missiles. In making
this evaluation certain assumptions have been made which are not recounted
here in detail, but are incorporated in the Operational Plans. Further,
the evaluation has considered each of the missiles fired as if it had been
fired on the HARDTACK mission. The latter condition means that component
or function failures during the terminal guidance phase have been ignored.
3. Evaluation of this small test lot of missiles utilizing the
binomial probability distribution curve results in the following estimates:
a, The probability of the missile leaving the ground and following
the precalculated trajectory up to the moment of burst within prescribed
limits is 80%.
be. Assuming a successful flight to propulsion cutoff, the probability of success of the missile up to the moment of burst is 92%.
ec. Assuming a successful flight up to and including booster separation, the probability of success of the missile up to the moment of burst
is 99.99%.
d.
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In the event of an unsuccessful flight, the operational relia-
bility of the Command Receiver System is 99.99%.
4. With regard to 3d, above, the Command Destruct receiver has never
failed in laboratory tests, and there have been no known failures during
flight. Ina series of test firings pulses were sent to the missile and
# One additional firing completed while this report was being prepared is
not utilized in this summary.
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ATOMIC ENERGY ACT 1954
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