Dave-Platt%LADC@CISL-SERVICE-MULTICS.ARPA (Dave Platt) (02/06/86)
According to a news report I saw yesterday, NASA has acknowledged that the SRBs were both headed out to sea at the time that the range safety officer sent the "destruct" signal... contrary to earlier reports, neither SRB was headed for a populated area. NASA pointed out that the RSO had to react in seconds, and made the "safe" decision. Also... a still photograph (taken by an amateur photographer) released by NASA yesterday appears to show a very definite plume of flame coming out of the side of one of the SRBs. The photo was taken several seconds after the external tank exploded. This gives support to the most popular theory that a flame plume from the side of the right SRB struck the external tank, and (a) overpressured the hydrogen and LOX; (b) burned through to the hydrogen or LOX; or (c) triggered the ET's self-destruct mechanism.