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From: john@gcc-milo.ARPA (John Allred)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: AW&ST on 51L
Message-ID: <492@gcc-milo.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 20-Mar-86 11:52:29 EST
Article-I.D.: gcc-milo.492
Posted: Thu Mar 20 11:52:29 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 31-Mar-86 03:51:37 EST
References: <6511@utzoo.UUCP> <2036@peora.UUCP>
Reply-To: john@gcc-milo.UUCP (John Allred)
Organization: General Computer Company, Cambridge Ma
Lines: 25
Summary: its all relative

In article <2036@peora.UUCP> jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) writes:

>In the original "NASA Select" photos made with the remote tracking camera
>(the one which shows the closeup of the shuttle), at the time that the
>visible vapors begin moving down parallel to the "bottom" surface of the
>external tank, it appears that a substantial structural failure also
>occurs at the aft end of the tank, near where the left SRB is attached.

>However, in all the published descriptions, all I've seen are statements
>that the *right* supporting strut breaks away.  Are the supporting struts
>(or the sides of the tank) tied together structurally in such a way
>that the loads from the SRBs are balanced, such that when the right one
>came loose, it would cause the left one to pull the aft left side of the
>external tank off?


The terms 'left' and 'right' are relative.  They assume that you are facing
the top of the orbiter.

The right SRB is the prime candidate for causing the destruction of the 
orbiter.  Since the shuttle rolls over during ascent, the right SRB appears
on the left side of the vehicle.-- 
John Allred
General Computer Company 
uucp: seismo!harvard!gcc-milo!john