Loading ...Which almost created an international political incident – and did create an international ‘issue’ . This story was related by one of my engineering professors who had inside information .
Missile tests were once launched from Green River, UT , to impact at White Sands , NM . This was back in the day that FORTRAN was the big up and coming engineering and scientific computer language , at a time when most engineers in practice used slide rules , tables of data , and experience to make calculations .
Impact at White Sands was determined by the amount of fuel loaded prior to launch from Green River . Some young up and coming IT type convinced the brass that he had a FORTRAN formula which would precisely calculate the amount of fuel to be loaded , so his formula was used for the next launch fuel load .
The day of launch came and the radar at White Sands was set to track the missile .
LAUNCH VERIFIED !
Radar crew : HERE IT COMES !
Radar crew : STILL COMING …
Radar crew : IT WENT OVERHEAD !
Radar crew : IT PASSED WHITE SANDS !
Radar crew : IT’S GOING TO IMPACT IN MEXICO !!!!
Fortunately , impact was in a deserted cemetery around Juarez , so there were no injuries and no lives lost .
Someone typing the IBM punch cards for ‘the formula ‘ had reversed the sign on one of the coefficients used in ‘the formula’ resulting in a slight overage in the amount of fuel loaded , and a longer trajectory .
So, back to the slide rules and tables and old timers’ experience for the next few launches .