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From: scw@cepu.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Re: Shuttle "self-destruct system?"
Message-ID: <311@cepu.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Jul-84 08:28:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: cepu.311
Posted: Tue Jul 10 08:28:36 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Jul-84 00:36:33 EDT
References: <910@psuvm.UUCP>
Reply-To: scw@cepu.UUCP (Steve Woods)
Organization: VA Wadsworth Med. Center; LA CA
Lines: 19

In article <910@psuvm.UUCP> psuvm%sgl@psuvax1.UUCP writes:
>
> Why would they use a linear-shaped charge for a destruct charge?  A shape
>charge is designed for cutting (through armor for example) not for "blowing up"

Actually a shaped charge is just a way of focusing the force of the explosive.
The commonest use is in anti-tank weapons, where the shaped charge is used to
generate a jet of hot gas that literally punches a small hole through the armor.
Another military use is for punching a hole in very hard ground to put a larger
'cratering' charge in (for blocking roads).  A linear shaped charge instead of
producing a cylindrical jet produces a plainar jet, this will cut the entire
surface (a knife as opposed to a rapier if you will) open. Because the skin
of most space systems is also a structural member this will cause the object
to collapse without having to use massive ammounts of explosive to blow it
apart.
-- 
Stephen C. Woods (VA Wadsworth Med Ctr./UCLA Dept. of Neurology)
uucp:	{ {ihnp4, uiucdcs}!bradley, hao, trwrb, sdcsvax!bmcg}!cepu!scw
ARPA: cepu!scw@ucla-cs CORRECTED location: N 34 3' 9.1" W 118 27' 4.3"