ems@amdahl.UUCP (ems) (01/28/86)
I am sure you have all heard by now, Challenger exploded.
The early reports have it that one of the SRB's may have exploded.
The weather reports had been of very cold weather. What are
the temperature cycling limits on the SRB's? Could the chilling
on the pad followed by the heating of the outer layers (morning
warmth, aerodynamic heating, etc.) have caused a problem with the
SRB fuel? Either chemical or physical (fracturing or sepparation
from the container).
I can only wonder now, what does the future hold for the shuttle.
--
E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems
This is the obligatory disclaimer of everything.henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (01/31/86)
> The early reports have it that one of the SRB's may have exploded.
Given that both SRBs continued on out of the explosion cloud, more or
less intact and more or less in the right direction (initially), it is
difficult to see how there could have been any serious problem with
either of them.
The unusually cold weather in Florida, and the admitted icing problems
it caused, are definitely suspicious.
--
Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry