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From: jlg@lanl.ARPA (Jim Giles)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Other types of SRBs
Message-ID: <1448@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 24-Feb-86 20:42:04 EST
Article-I.D.: lanl.1448
Posted: Mon Feb 24 20:42:04 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Feb-86 20:15:46 EST
References: <165@axiom.UUCP> <737@ism780c.UUCP>
Reply-To: jlg@a.UUCP (Jim Giles)
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 17


There is another solution to the SRB problem, and it is one that was going
to be used at Vandenberg all along.  That is to use the present design, but
to heat the SRB's before launch.  At Vandenberg, they had already planned
to use modified jet engines to blow warm air on the SRB casings during any
cold weather.  NASA officials didn't think the cold would be a problem at
the Cape, so the heater engines were never installed there.  (Source:
Wall Street Journal)

I suspect that the SRB's will now be redesigned even if it turns out
that the design was satisfactory as long as they were kept warm.  I think
people will feel skittish about flying with boosters which caused an
earlier catastrophe.  Even with a redesign though, I bet future Shuttle
flights will start with a carefully maintained SRB temperature.

J. Giles
Los Alamos