Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!hplabs!hpda!hpcuhb!hpindda!mears
From: mears@hpindda.HP.COM (David B. Mears)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Re: Orbiter/SRB separation
Message-ID: <3330005@hpindda.HP.COM>
Date: 17 Jun 88 20:34:40 GMT
References: <1869@bigtex.uucp>
Organization: HP Technical Networks, Cupertino, Calif.
Lines: 22

>                             .   .   .    and allowed a plume of hot gasses
> to leak out where the O-Ring had been. This plume touched off the ET, which
> detonated with the energy of a small nuclear weapon.  

Wait a minute.  I don't recall seeing anywhere anything published which
said that the exhaust plume directly caused the explosion of the ET.  Where
did you this printed?  It was always my understanding that the plume caused
the lower strut to weaken and break, thus causing the SRB to pivot into the
ET, causing the tanks to rupture, causing the H and O to combine and burn in
the fireball seen on TV (though not exactly an explosion).  Or are we saying
the same thing only with more or less detail?
> -- 
> ------
> My opinions are not necessarily those of my employer.
> 
> 	Greg Hullender  allegra!novavax!proxftl!greg
> ----------

David B. Mears
Hewlett-Packard
Cupertino CA
{hplabs, ihnp4!hpfcla}!hpda!mears