Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!ut-sally!seismo!rlgvax!hadron!klr
From: klr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler)
Newsgroups: net.columbia,net.space
Subject: Re: SRB destruction
Message-ID: <243@hadron.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Feb-86 10:30:01 EST
Article-I.D.: hadron.243
Posted: Fri Feb  7 10:30:01 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 04:24:15 EST
References: <463@mb2c.UUCP>
Reply-To: klr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler)
Distribution: net
Organization: Hadron, Inc., Fairfax, VA
Lines: 29
Xref: watmath net.columbia:2219 net.space:5728

In article <463@mb2c.UUCP> gbr@mb2c.UUCP (Jerry Ruhno) writes:
>
>> One aspect of the SRB self-destruct mechanism which has bothered me the
>> most is the fact that a single action will destroy BOTH SRB's ........
>

>    Another interesting fact is that in the SRB the fuel is burning the
>   entire length of the rocket. When they send a destruct signal to the
>   SRBs it DOES NOT BLOW UP THE WHOLE THING!! I never realized this.
>   What is does is blow off the top of the rocket. Now with the fuel
>   burning the entire length it ends up burning at both ends. This
>   stops the forward motion of the rocket and it falls to the ocean.
>   If it survives the fall and they can find it, NASA will be able 
>   to tell alot from it. As of Wed. Feb 5 NASA has said they think
>   they found one of them but needs a closer look.
>
	As of late last night, NASA thinks that they may have actually
	located BOTH of the SRBs.  One is in relatively shallow water,
	and the other is over 1000 feet down.  I hope that they have
	infact located them both, and that they can be salvaged.  It
	would ansewer the question of whether the right SRB did
	actually burn through, and why.  The answer to that question
	might move us a little closer to a resumption of shuttle
	launches.

	Kurt Reisler
	..!seismo!hadron!klr

		The Dream is, and must remain, alive!