fisher@star.DEC (Burns Fisher ZKO1-1/D42 DTN 381-1466) (01/30/86)
> >The shuttle tragedy has raised some questions (in my mind) about the >shuttle, and the effect this disaster will have on the space program. >Perhaps the readers of this digest will have some answers or speculation on >these questions. > >- What kind of escape mechanism (if any) does the shuttle have for the crew? > All escape possibilities in the Shuttle assume that the orbiter survives and functions. For the first 4 flights of Columbia, there were 2 ~standard escape seats, but it was considered that chances of surviving in them was only marginal. You may have noticed during those first 4 flights the call "negative seats" meaning "you can't use them from now on". It was not very far into the flight. Back of the envelope calculation: It blew 10 miles high, 72 seconds after liftoff. That is an AVERAGE speed of 500 mph (assuming it went straight up, which it did not). If you assume linear acceleration (not true either, but what the hell), that means that the shuttle was going 1000 MPH when it blew. Want to guess at the chances of surviving an ejection at 1000MPH at 52000 feet? It seems to me that the only possible chance would have been to blow the orbiter free of the tank and solids and try for a Return-to-launch-site abort or a ditching. Separating from the tank is a lot of mechanical action to take place in only a few milliseconds. Burns ...decwrl!rhea!star!fisher
kerry@ctvax (02/05/86)
The velocity of Challenger at the time of the explosion was made public. In fact, the launch director gave the last velocity a few milliseconds after the explosion, of which is was not yet aware. I can't remember the exact figure, but it was near 2000 mph at the time of the explosion. So, ejection seats would have been useless at that speed even if the passengers had time to activate them.
eec3@ihuxx.UUCP (e. cumberland) (02/05/86)
> liftoff. That is an AVERAGE speed of 500 mph (assuming it went straight up, > which it did not). If you assume linear acceleration (not true either, but > what the hell), that means that the shuttle was going 1000 MPH when it blew. > Want to guess at the chances of surviving an ejection at 1000MPH at 52000 feet? The speed of the Challenger at the moment of the blast was quoted in the news as 1997 MPH. Although the air is much less dense at 52000 feet, to be thrust into the air stream passing at that speed would probably have the same result as hitting a brick wall at 70. Edwin E. Cumberland III