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The controller unit failed - and six seconds decided if Galileo hit Senegal
Six seconds to release a nuclear probe from Atlantis' cargo bay - if they missed it, disaster in Senegal. Did they make it in time?
The controller unit failed - and six seconds decided if Galileo hit Senegal
In this episode, we lay out the tense sequence of delays and split‑second decisions around STS-34’s October 18, 1989 launch. You’ll hear how hardware faults, weather at abort runways, and a six‑second deployment window put a nuclear‑powered Jupiter probe and a crew on a knife edge.
Date: October 18, 1989
Mission: STS-34
Spacecraft: Galileo (carrying two RTGs with plutonium dioxide)
Crew…
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