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From: gd%sri-spam@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: SPACE Digest V4 #232, Shuttle "self-destruct system"
Message-ID: <1325@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Jun-84 10:22:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.1325
Posted: Wed Jun 27 10:22:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Jun-84 07:14:24 EDT
Lines: 18

From:  gd@sri-spam (Greg DesBrisay)


A coworker of mine who worked on some of the Apollo projects says that
NASA typically builds self-destruct mechanisms into all their rockets in
case they veer off course.  If one of the Apollo rockets were to have
gone off course, the astronauts would have ejected, and the
range-officer would have exploded the booster in the hope that any
pieces of metal would vaporize before hitting the ground and injuring
somebody.

Of course, that doesn't preclude using the explosives to keep classified
material out of the wrong hands too....


Greg DesBrisay
SRI
gd@sri-spam