Delta launches nave had a high success ratio. One factor has oeen successful field processing. Review of hard experience and study of critical costs, produced a test philosophy which led to development of improved methods and equipment. This test philosophy saw several virtues in the minimization of human access to flight hardware, both in and out of test.
Planning and precision were the adopted characteristics of people performance. Automation and mechanization of test exercises and of data-taking were implemented by launch site concepting, designing, and fabricating special test equipments. These are illustrated and discussed.
The success of these methods and equipments has had time to mature in routine use. Evaluation indicates they made a major contribution to the outstanding cost effectiveness and reliability of the DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE
