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From: gandalf@pro-canaveral.cts.com (Ken Hollis)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Collapsing Rocket Stages...
Message-ID: <4902@crash.cts.com>
Date: 10 Oct 90 06:16:16 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com
Lines: 22

Greetings and Salutations:

From: Mike.McManus@FtCollins.NCR.com (Mike McManus)
Subject: Atlas (was Re: For All Mankind)
Writes:
If I recall correctly, several years ago (8-10?), there was an Atlas on
display
at the USAF Museum in Dayton that had a pressurization system that was used to
maintain it's "posture".  At some point, the system failed, and the whole
thing
collapsed like a paper cup.  I can remember seeing the picture on the front

----->End of quote
 
The integrity of the Centaur half of the Atlas Centaur rocket (Atlas being the
lower booster, Centaur being the upper booster) is maintained by the internal
pressure of the stage.  The wall thickness is about as thick as a dime.  This
saves weight as no excess structural support is required.  This also causes
problems, for example a few years back a platform punched a hole in the side
of the stage and the Centaur just crumpled.
 
Ken Hollis