Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: SRBs
Message-ID: <1990Jan11.005052.2062@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <1990Jan10.142852.23804@phri.nyu.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 90 00:50:52 GMT

In article <1990Jan10.142852.23804@phri.nyu.edu> roy@phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) writes:
>... I noticed that the SRBs were still burning when they separated, and
>kept doing so for at least a few seconds (i.e. as long as they showed
>them).  To me, this means they waste some significant fraction of the SRB
>thrust after separation.  Is that really true?

SRB burnout is a gradual process.  Separation occurs after thrust has
dropped to something fairly insignificant -- it is not possible to do
the separation while the SRBs are at full blast -- but they do go on
putting out a little bit of exhaust for some seconds.
-- 
1972: Saturn V #15 flight-ready|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
1990: birds nesting in engines | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu