Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ingr!whitehrc
From: whitehrc@ingr.com (Robert C. Whitehead)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Blowing Up the Shuttle
Keywords: figures from USBI
Message-ID: <9689@ingr.com>
Date: 10 Apr 90 18:09:03 GMT
Organization: Intergraph Corp. Huntsville, Al
Lines: 119


I hope everyone remembers the basis for the argument about
the Shuttle generating a 1.2 megaton blast if it were
range-saftied on the pad.

I finally got the definitive figures from my reliable source
(aka my brother-in-law, who wrote the specs and redlines
for the Range Saftey System on STS).  I have appended them with
the parameters of the explosion.

TERMS:

	FIREBALL
	Defined as area of 27 pounds per square inch (psi)
	overpressure

	ZONE OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION
	Defined as area of 12 psi overpressure

	100% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA
	Defined as area of 8 psi overpressure

	50% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA
	Defined as area of 3.5 psi overpressure

	10% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA
	Defined as area of 1.7 psi overpressure

	5% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA (aka 50% casualty area,
	meaning that 50% of the people in this area die)
	Defined as area of 1.2 psi overpressure

	DEBRIS ZONE
	Defined as area of .7 psi overpressure

OK, now that the nitpicking is out of the way and the terms
are defined, we'll get on with it:

CASE STUDY #1

Range Saftey declared on the pad; SRB and ET RS devices are triggered

ASSUMING:

Blast is at ground level, with 40% of the blast directed
upward.  100% of all fuel (solid, hydrogen, and oxygen) 
is consumed in the blast at maximum possible rate of burn.

FIREBALL = 891 feet radius

ZONE OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION = 1,321' radius

100% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA = 1,615' radius

50% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA = 2,643' radius

10% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA = 4,405' radius

5% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA (aka 50% casualty area,
meaning that 50% of the people in this area die) = 7,341' radius

DEBRIS ZONE = 11,747' radius

According to my sources, this compares favorably to the blast
caused by 1 megaton of TNT.

Notice that I said *blast*: this has nothing to do with the
thermal or radiation effects of a thermonuclear device.  I think
that most people arguing with me are saying that a 1MT nuke is
much more destructive.  In a way, they're right, but it's only
because a nuke has three dimensions of destruction (blast, fire,
and radiation) whereas 1MT of TNT is a blast-only weapon.

(Yes, I'll concede that if you detonated 1MT TNT, *something*
would probably burn; I maintain, however, that TNT's thermal
destruction capacity is negligible when compared to a nuke.)


CASE STUDY #2

Range Safety declared on the pad; only the ET RS device triggers.
Only the ET explodes.

ASSUMING:

Blast is at ground level, with 40% of the blast directed upward.

FIREBALL = 589' radius

ZONE OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION = 884' radius

100% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA = 1,081' radius

50% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA = 1.768' radius

10% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA = 2,947' radius

5% STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AREA (aka 50% casualty area,
meaning that 50% of the people in this area die) = 4,912' radius

DEBRIS ZONE = 7,859' radius


I'll be happy to pass on any objections, but I remind you that
these figures come from the people who *build* the SRBs - 
United Technologies/USBI.


 ----------------------------
| Robert C. (Bob) Whitehead  |
|         --=rcw=--          | Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville
| Direct Email Replies:      | Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are
|	ingr!b32a!rw8024!bob |  strictly mine
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