Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: SRB's
Message-ID: <6488@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Mar-86 15:53:19 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6488
Posted: Tue Mar 11 15:53:19 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Mar-86 15:53:19 EST
References: <699@ihwpt.UUCP> <345@quest.UUCP> <3311@hplabsb.UUCP> <6435@utzoo.UUCP>, <1514@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 15

> >... SRB ignition and the
> >blowing of the hold-down nuts are simultaneous.
> 
> ...the SRB thrust was in excess of what the hold-downs could withstand.
> If an SRB ignited and the hold-down was not released, they would take
> off anyway, ripping apart the structure of the craft...

I'm a bit surprised that the hold-downs can't take full SRB thrust -- the
Saturn V hold-downs could and did take its (rather higher) full thrust, since
they weren't released until the engines were at full power -- but maybe
there was some sort of compromise needed in the engineering for the Shuttle
hold-downs.  It would explain the timing.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry