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From: bilbo.niket@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU ("Niket K. Patwardhan")
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Shuttle explosion
Message-ID: <8602112131.AA18138@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Tue, 11-Feb-86 13:13:09 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8602112131.AA18138
Posted: Tue Feb 11 13:13:09 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Feb-86 01:00:22 EST
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According to Aviation Week, the SRB leak caused a failure of the lower supports,
causing the SRB to become detached at that point. From rate gyro information,
they now believe that the SRB then rammmed the top of the external fuel tank,
The top of the SRB was damaged, and a photo showing the drogue parachutte
spilling out is provided.

	An interesting thing was that just prior to the explosion, the shuttle
flew through a wind shear, and all five engines immediately swivelled to cocompensate. The thrust levels then reduced (normal part of the program), and
then built back up. During this build up the SRB didn't get up to normal power,
and the shuttle engines swivelled, but AWST says this was not dramatic, and the
shuttle itself stayed on course.

	If anybody is interested in the actual numbers, I would suggest you get
hold of a copy of this weeks issue: it has some pretty good photos too.