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From: jrv@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA (James R. Van Zandt)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: questions
Message-ID: <8602022033.AA24204@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 2-Feb-86 15:33:09 EST
Article-I.D.: mitre-be.8602022033.AA24204
Posted: Sun Feb  2 15:33:09 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Feb-86 03:14:01 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The MITRE Corp., Bedford, MA
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> Second [of the shuttle explosion] cause may be that the flame heated up the
> detonation device that was supposed to blow up the shuttle in case it
> was out of control headed toward populated area.  If true, doubly
> ironic that (1) detonation device actually was immediate cause of loss
> of orbiter (2) huge chunks landed despite detonation 

The pieces may have been large, but wouldn't have caused NEARLY as much
damage as a crash of the full external tank with its fuel.

                          - Jim Van Zandt