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From: Dave-Platt%LADC@CISL-SERVICE-MULTICS.ARPA (Dave Platt)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Destruction of SRBs
Message-ID: <8602062052.AA07193@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Thu, 6-Feb-86 14:20:00 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8602062052.AA07193
Posted: Thu Feb  6 14:20:00 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Feb-86 05:30:16 EST
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Organization: The ARPA Internet
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According to a news report I saw yesterday, NASA has acknowledged
that the SRBs were both headed out to sea at the time that the
range safety officer sent the "destruct" signal... contrary to earlier
reports, neither SRB was headed for a populated area.  NASA pointed
out that the RSO had to react in seconds, and made the "safe" decision.

Also... a still photograph (taken by an amateur photographer) released
by NASA yesterday appears to show a very definite plume of flame coming
out of the side of one of the SRBs.  The photo was taken several
seconds after the external tank exploded.  This gives support to the
most popular theory that a flame plume from the side of the right SRB
struck the external tank, and (a) overpressured the hydrogen and LOX;
(b) burned through to the hydrogen or LOX;  or (c) triggered the ET's
self-destruct mechanism.