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From: john@chinet.UUCP (John Mundt)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Pop-top SRB's
Message-ID: <633@chinet.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Oct-86 19:32:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: chinet.633
Posted: Thu Oct 16 19:32:30 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Oct-86 00:34:10 EDT
References: <861014-135105-2695@Xerox>
Reply-To: john@chinet.UUCP (John Mundt)
Organization: chi-net, Public Access UN*X, Chicago IL
Lines: 7

One of the biggest problems early in flight is having enough
of a velocity to make it back to the runway.  If I understand
you correctly, the reverse thrusters would slow things down
before the orbiter detached.  No profit in that.  If the SRB's
could be "pop-topped" the orbiter could then shut down the main
engines and release from the ET while still maintaining as much
velocity as possible.