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From: polish@garfield.columbia.edu (Nathaniel Polish)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Survivability of astronauts
Message-ID: <1424@garfield.columbia.edu>
Date: Sat, 22-Mar-86 16:38:01 EST
Article-I.D.: garfield.1424
Posted: Sat Mar 22 16:38:01 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Mar-86 02:26:42 EST
References: <187@axiom.UUCP>
Reply-To: polish@garfield.UUCP (Nathaniel Polish)
Organization: Columbia University CS Department
Lines: 13

The crew compartment is attached to the rest of the orbiter 
at a few points as to minimize the heat transfer while on-orbit.
The cabin is reenforced, welded aluminum and is designed to contain
the 14.7 psi that the cabin is presurized to.  It is not designed
to protect the crew from massive explosions and such.  The fact the
basic structure survived intact is no particular indication that 
the crew was not dead moments after the explosion.  At several time
the speed of sound the cabin went from being aerodynamically streamlined
to a brick.  The decelaration was very great.  Just consider dropping
an elevator from fifteen stories.  The cab is fairly well intact but the
people are very dead.