PJS@grouch.jpl.nasa.GOV (Peter Scott) (06/15/88)
From the JPL UNIVERSE, June 10: "Shuttle's oxidizer supply assured despite explosion" The explosion of the Pacific Engineering and Production Co. plant at Henderson, Nev., May 4, destroyed one of the two facilities capable of producing ammonium perchlorate, the oxidizer used in all solid-propellant rocket motors. The only other manufacturer of ammonium perchlorate is Kerr-McGee Corp. NASA said there is sufficient ammonium perchlorate on hand for the first four shuttle missions beginning with STS 26, now scheduled for late August. The oxidizer for the fifth mission (Magellan) is nearly ready at Kerr-McGee. NASA has indicated that two key JPL projects, Magellan and Galileo, have a high priority. JPL director Lew Allen has been in consultation with NASA Headquarters about the status of the problem. The Kerr-McGee plant at Henderson was closed following the explosion on the recommendation of a six-member safety panel. The firm was scheduled to resume production this week and has said it could produce up to 40 million pounds per year of the chemical. That is still less than the combined pre-explosion production capacity of Kerr-McGee and Pacific Engineering of 62 million pounds per year. The production amount of 40 million pounds per year is still less than is needed by all users, including NASA, Department of Defense, and commercial. There will be an allocation process developed among the DoD, NASA and the commercial users. It takes 1.7 million pounds of the oxidizer to launch one shuttle. The U.S. Air Force and NASA are considering alternatives for construction of a new plant for the production of ammonium perchlorate. Such a facility may take as much as two years to build and begin full production. --------------------------------------------- I want you to know it took a heroic effort to avoid snide editorial comments during the above... Peter Scott (pjs%grouch@jpl-mil.jpl.nasa.gov)