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From: Jon Berndt )
Subject: Book review, Pt. IV [tape review]
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Date: 2002-05-23 22:15:02 PST


Thoughts after viewing several hours worth of 51-L tapes from every angle
imaginable.

1) The book describes in several places anomalies that occurred in the TV
images during ascent. These orange glows are described as several things
including outgassings, RCS firings, etc. However, they look distinctly
similar to ghost images of the brighter SRB plume as the camera moves about.

2) In one rather remarkable camera segment just as the stack begins to
disintegrate there is a fleeting, wicked, bright flash at the far forward
portion of the ET. There seems to be a forward propogation of the explosion
or coincidental effects that make it appears as such. This further
underscored the appearance to me that there is a forward motion of the LH2
tank into the LO2 tank. With the LO2 tank under pressure, and the metal at
very cold temperatures, my impression is that when this "collision" happened
that the LO2 tank ruptured in spectacular fashion.

3) One of the camera views shows the view looking up the skirt of the SRBs,
so to speak. When the first explosive effects appear it is surprising to me
the extremely rapid outward motion of debris.

4) There is one camera view in particular that shows the SRBs moving forward
away from the cloud and nosing outwards entirely consistent with and
convincing of no crossing. I saw no evidence of booster crossing.

5) It appears as though the SRBs are neutrally stable at best, solo. It
appears as though the SRBs separate from the ET and fly forward of the
disintegrating ET while having "caught wind" or having been "blown outward"
at the nose and once they acquire an appreciable beta (sideslip) the wind
takes over and they start tumbling.
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Compare with www.challengerdisaster.info and carefully note
which booster it is (at exit) that traveled further downrange.

(Keep in mind also that the SRBs pull their thrust beam into the
LOX tank as the main engines shut down.)

See also: http://mission51l.com/chapter1.htm .

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