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From: pritch@osu-eddie.UUCP (Norman Pritchett)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: SRBs and Flaps
Message-ID: <1438@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 20:13:12 EST
Article-I.D.: osu-eddi.1438
Posted: Tue Mar  4 20:13:12 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Mar-86 06:01:55 EST
References: <1402@garfield.columbia.edu> <86@fai.UUCP>
Reply-To: pritch@osu-eddie.UUCP (Norman Pritchett)
Organization: The Ohio State University
Lines: 43

In article <86@fai.UUCP> ronc@fai.UUCP (Ronald O. Christian) writes:
>>On the issue of one SRB igniting:
>>
>>[...] If  they  kept the  rocket
>>bolted down during a situation like this the results would  be as  bad
>>as not bolting it down.  The vibration supressors (water)  only last a
>>few seconds so the rocket would be shaken to pieces (even from 3 miles
>>out the vibration  is substantial.)  In addition, the  heat  build  up
>>would be very great.  Basically,  abort senerios from  ignition to SRB
>>separation are no win.
>****
>
>This may be a stupid question, but what if you blow the SRB loose and
>let it continue on it's merry way alone?  The only problem I see would
>be the danger of the exhaust from the launching SRB igniting the main
>tank.  We all know how nasty *that* can be.  I guess I answered my own
>question.

I don't know if it'd be a problem or not but something I'd worry about is
whether the remainder of the shuttle would stay supported on pad.

Idea:  if simply blowing the nosecone off the SRB without destroying it
entirely will stop the thrust could you do that in the event of a single SRB
ignition?  Could blowing the nosecone "snuff out" the SRB?

>A nasty thought occurrs to me.  In such a situation, (only one SRB ignites)
>the shuttle probably becomes dangerous to the surrounding area, due to
>the unpredictability of flight direction.  What is the flight officer
>supposed to do in such a case?  Destruct the shuttle?  If you think NASA
>got bad press *this* time...
>
>		Ronald O. Christian (Fujitsu America Inc., San Jose, Calif.)
>		ihnp4!pesnta!fai!ronc


I think that a self-destruct ASAP would make sense.  Worrying about just the
effects of the blast would be preferable to worrying about the effects of
the blast plus which way the cause of the blast is thrusting.
-- 
Norm Pritchett, The Ohio State University
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