Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!aviation From: CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU (Werner Uhrig) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: news: Challenger lost. (and note on self-destruct mechanism) Message-ID: <12178909248.29.CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU> Date: Tue, 28-Jan-86 15:26:36 EST Article-I.D.: R20.12178909248.29.CMP.WERNER Posted: Tue Jan 28 15:26:36 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 30-Jan-86 05:25:36 EST Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 30 enclosed a message from Peter Neumann just posted to RISKS, which mentions an automatic self-destruct mechanism. Not that I suspect that mechanism as being at fault in this case, but I still think it is an "unmentioned topic" worth looking into. (ever thought that such a mechanism built into an airliner could prevent highjackers from crashing it into downtown *whereever*? how would you feel about riding on such a vehicle?) In a few minutes, I also hope to post an article raising some questions about the "apparent" lack of concern about icing on Challenger and some observations which could point to ICING as related to the explosion. NO-cheers from this pilot today, )-: Werner --------------------------- Tue 28 Jan 86 09:45:12-PST Peter G. Neumann The Space Shuttle Challenger (738 chars; more?) For those of you who haven't heard, the Challenger blew up this morning, 1 minute and 12 seconds after launch, during maximum thrust. Everything appeared to be working properly. TV pictures show one of the solid rocket boosters on the side going first, then everything. (There had been some concern because the temperature went below 28 degrees Fahrenheit during the night at Canaveral, and that temperature is considered critical because of ice formation.) The Challenger had consistently been the most reliable of all the shuttles. One unvoiced concern from the RISKS point of view is the presence on each shuttle of a semi-automatic self-destruct mechanism. Hopefully that mechanism cannot be accidentally triggered. -------