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From: KDA101@PSUVM.BITNET (KeithPetto Alexander)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Explosive Bolts
Message-ID: <89336.172434KDA101@PSUVM.BITNET>
Date: 2 Dec 89 22:24:34 GMT
References: <14459@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <1989Dec2.104842.22624@utzoo.uucp>
 <30704@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 22

In article <30704@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>, cdaf@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (Charles
Daffinger) says:
>
>What happens should one of these charges fail to detonate?  Will a
>single bolt be able to hold the shuttle down long enough to cause
>disaster, or is a single bolt insignificant enough that it would break
>without affecting the launch?  How many of these bolts actually hold
>the shuttle?

Someone mentioned this occurrence just the other day.  It seems one of the
bolts did fail to detonate during a shuttle launch.  It did not, however,
stand a chance of holding the shuttle back.  I believe there only minimal
damage was sustained.  Once the SRBs are ignited it certianly takes more
than one of those bolts to hold the shuttle down.  Does anyone know how
many bolts would be needed to hold the shuttle back, or is that never
considerd as an alternative to launch at that point?
-------
                                       Petto :->

"The opinions expressed above may or may not be my own."

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