msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (09/30/88)
WABC-TV news said tonight about the flicker of light from the booster
that NASA said that it was probably an optical illusion.
It really didn't look like it to me....
Mark
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msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu Who cares in '88?billv@cpe.UUCP (10/01/88)
>/* ---------- "SRB flicker of light" ---------- */ >WABC-TV news said tonight about the flicker of light from the booster >that NASA said that it was probably an optical illusion. ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ >It really didn't look like it to me.... >Mark Me either!!!! NASA said that the complacency that resulted in the Challenger disaster has been eliminated. It certainly looks like the same old B.S. we have grown to expect from Government agencies. IF it was flame, this crew is EXTREMELY lucky to be alive. I found it surprising that at ignition the TV audience/crew were applauding, as if at this time everything was over. We MUST teach our kids that anything attached to a rocket motor is very dangerous STARTING at ignition. At that time, the tension should begin. I felt VERY nervous when the MAJOR abnormal flame was visible. IF this was real, it was not a flicker. The flame I saw appeared to move around a lot, and (lucky) appeared to be mostly on the out-board side (ie away from the E.T.). Does anyone have tapes of old shuttle missions? Look and see if this (illusion) is common. If not, we are in TROUBLE folks! *********************************************************************** * Bill Valentine trsvax!cpe!billv * * Computer Product Engineering (killer,convex)!ninja!cpe!billv * * Tandy Corporation -views expressed are my own and do not reflect * * (817) 878-4139 upon those of my employer. * ***********************************************************************
sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) (10/05/88)
When a newsperson asked a NASA official about the "flicker", the NASA
official said it was harmless. He said that exhaust gas turbulence from
the SRBs, especially during the roll maneuver, can cause
strange-looking "curlbacks" like this to form (those are not the words
he used).
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