PHOTO 72-- Flight C-18 : July 9, 1980
The propellant grain shatters into several still-burning fragments, scarring the sky with streaks of smoke.
The parachute, with only the nosecone still tethered to it, is visible in the lower part of the photo.
This flight, my 37th, was the first to suffer from a motor failure. It was also the first (and only) failure of the B-200 motor, occurring after 23 successful firings...