Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION
on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident
Volume 5 Index
Hearings of the Presidential
Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident: February 26,
1986 to May 2, 1986.
MARCH 21, 1986 SESSION. (part 2 of
2)
[1340] [Ref. 3/21-50]
Liftoff Dynamics.
LIFTOFF DYNAMICS
- LIFTOFF DYNAMICS WERE SIMULATED
- THREE DIMENSIONAL TRANSLATION AND
ROTATION WITH FLEXIBLE BODY INCORPORATED
- INITIAL CONDITIONS FROM LIFTOFF CHOSEN
TO MATCH FLIGHT RECORDS
- MATCH US OBTAINED USING VALUES WITHIN
NOMINAL RANGE
- EXPECTED VARIATIONS IN SSME THRUST
RISE
- EXPECTED VARIATIONS IN SRM IGNITION
TIMING
- GROUND WINDS
- SRM GIMBALLING ACTIVITY FOR 51-L WAS
COMPARED WITH STS-6
- STS-6 USED CHALLENGER CARRYING SAME
PAYLOAD
- PLOTS ARE SIMILAR
- LIFTOFF FILMS WERE EVALUATED
- NO COLLISION WITH GROUND STRUCTURE
OCCURRED
S-5
[Ref. 3/21-51] Atmospheric Environment
and Aerodynamics.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT AND
AERODYNAMICS
- ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT WAS
RECONSTRUCTED
- WINDS, TEMPERATURES, AND PRESSURE
ALOFT
- GROUND WINDS
- GROUND TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL
HISTORIES
- PLUME OF SRM LEAK WAS MODELED FROM PHOTO
COVERAGE
- LEAK LOCATION IS SHOWN IN ACCOMPANYING
VISUAL MATERIAL
- AERODYNAMIC INCREMENTS DUE TO PLUME WERE
ESTIMATED
- MAXIMUM AERO FORCE ABOUT 130,000 POUNDS
AS OPPOSED TO ONLY ABOUT 30,000 POUNDS DUE TO THRUST OF
LEAK
- DATA PROVIDED TO JSC AND MSFC TEAMS
S-6
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