Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.10 $; site uiucdcsb
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uiucdcsb!kenny
From: kenny@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Challenger SRBs
Message-ID: <6800015@uiucdcsb>
Date: Sun, 2-Feb-86 13:09:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.6800015
Posted: Sun Feb  2 13:09:00 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Feb-86 07:06:58 EST
References: <4270@mhuxd.UUCP>
Lines: 29
Nf-ID: #R:mhuxd.UUCP:4270:uiucdcsb:6800015:000:1458
Nf-From: uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU!kenny    Feb  2 12:09:00 1986


As a follow-up to this discussion, NASA confirmed yesterday that the conical
object recovered from the sea was an SRB nosecone.  The recovery parachute
had, in fact, deployed normally.  The separation motors were still intact,
implying that Scobee and Smith had not attempted to blow the SRB's and ditch
the External Tank, which would have been the procedure they would have
followed if they had had warning of the impending explosion.  

In the same press release, NASA acknowledged the sighting of abnormal flames
forward of the nozzle of one SRB (visible as early as 0:58 after launch from
some camera angles) and confirmed a drop in combustion-chamber pressure in
that SRB consistent with a flame leak.  NASA spokesman Hugh Harris refused
to speculate as to the significance of this finding and stated that these
observations were ``an area of interest; not the only area of interest''.

Does anybody recall discussion in this newsgroup several months ago about a
near-disastrous fault in an SRB on an earlier flight which nearly caused a
burnthrough shortly before SRB sep?  Does anyone still have a transcript of
that discussion, or at least remember the salient points?

k**2
Kevin Kenny
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
UUCP: {ihnp4,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!kenny 
CSNET:	kenny@UIUC.CSNET
ARPA:	kenny@B.CS.UIUC.EDU	(kenny@UIUC.ARPA)

"Yes, understanding today's complex world is a bit like having bees live in
your head, but there they are."