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From: ray@rochester.UUCP (Ray Frank)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: SRB ring seals/NASA culpability?
Message-ID: <15429@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Feb-86 14:50:41 EST
Article-I.D.: rocheste.15429
Posted: Wed Feb 19 14:50:41 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Feb-86 05:32:35 EST
References: <195@analog.UUCP> <704@ihwpt.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
Lines: 32

> > The latest news, of yesterday and this morning (2/11/86) is that attention
> > is centering on the rubber ring seals which hold the SRB segments together,
> > and that NASA was aware of problems with these up to 9 months ago.
> > 
> > 
> > Is it really possible that NASA, in spite of the pretty obvious record of
> > paranoia when it comes to safety, could just plain ignore warnings about these
> > seals?  Is there some other explanation--like, they did know, but thought
> > they had worked out a solution (which unfortunately, wasn't good enough), or
> > they didn't really realize how bad the problem was, or something?  Anything
> > whatever in extenuation?
> > 
> > hplabs!analog!kim
> 
> 
In this mornings paper 2/19 there were hugh headlines reading:  WARNING IGNORED?

  Apparently a top Morton Thiokol engineer, Allan McDonald, pleaded with Nasa
officals for hours not to launch because of low temperatures.  He was overuled
by his own superior, Joe Kilminster.  McDonald said other engineers were
largely in agreement with his opinion that the launch be delayed.          
McDonald also said that at low tempeartures such as those the shuttle was 
exposed to causes the O ring seals to shrink and stiffen.

  So in answer to your question, yes, it is quite obvious that Nasa officals did
not pay enough heed to warnings from experts, but did pay heed to an experts
superior, who by the way, was not stated in the article to be an expert.  

  And finally, the article said that Morton Thiokol had orginally recommended
against launch, but for reasons not clear, changed their position.

ray