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From: patc@tekcrl.UUCP (Pat Caudill)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Ejection Seats
Message-ID: <530@tekcrl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Feb-86 10:07:05 EST
Article-I.D.: tekcrl.530
Posted: Sat Feb 15 10:07:05 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Feb-86 05:55:55 EST
References: <2911@ut-ngp.UUCP> <3046@umcp-cs.UUCP> <2755@amdahl.UUCP> <516@oliven.UUCP> <139@bucsb.UUCP>
Reply-To: patc@tekcrl.UUCP (Pat Caudill)
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 21
Summary: High mach ejections are survivable.


	I believe that high mach ejections are survivable since apparently
several such ejections have been made from the SR-71. However they require
special equiptment. According to the book SR-71 Blackbird in action 
(ISBN 0-89747-136-9) pp 11. 
	"Crew escape at Mach 3 and 80,000 ft is accomplished through the
use of a pressure suit, which provides enough protection to survive an
ejection at speed and altitude. The suits are custom made for their owners
and cost $100,000 per copy. (Gloves are manufactured in sets of three pair,
at $6,000 per set.) The ejection system has been proven on several occasions,
though none have been publically documented."
	The suits require the crew to breath pure ox for an hour before
take off to prevent the bends on ejection. These suits (and seats) are the
same as used on the Columbia for it's first launches. At that time I remember
them saying that the system was designed and tested for Mach 10 at 100,000 ft.
And the crew armed the seats at that time during re-entry.
	Of course ejecting into the exhust of a burning SRB would be
somewhat harder to survive but the speed and altitude of the shuttle
when the explosion occured were not the primary deterents to ejection.

			Tektronix!tekcrl!patc