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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ncr-sd.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ncr-sd!greg
From: greg@ncr-sd.UUCP (Greg Noel)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Challenger SRBs
Message-ID: <396@ncr-sd.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Feb-86 01:20:41 EST
Article-I.D.: ncr-sd.396
Posted: Sat Feb  1 01:20:41 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 20:11:11 EST
References: <4270@mhuxd.UUCP> <437@umich.UUCP>
Reply-To: greg@ncr-sd.UUCP (Greg Noel)
Organization: NCR Corporation, San Diego
Lines: 20

In article <437@umich.UUCP> cja@umich.UUCP (Charles J. Antonelli) writes:
>I would be surprised if the SRBs were capable of independent guidance.

You are correct, they aren't.

>Maybe the top bolts blow first, and the aerodynamics do the rest.

At the height where the separation usually takes place, there isn't
much aerodynamics.  They are pushed away by very small rockets at
the tip and tail of the SRB.

>During an abort I suspect the orbiter must be flown away from the
>tank/SRB assembly.  Does anyone know if there is a small fuel
>reserve within the orbiter for such an occasion?

There is a fair amount of manuevering available -- don't forget that
the orbiter needs to apply the final push into orbit as well as the
burn to bring it back down.
-- 
-- Greg Noel, NCR Rancho Bernardo    Greg@ncr-sd.UUCP or Greg@nosc.ARPA