Follow That LOX Tank!

Jon Berndt referred to as fact:

"... the explosive destruction of the LO2 tank and release of debris
and propellants which destroyed the intertank, liberated the SRBs, and
provided a nose outward impetus to both SRBs."

That must have been one terrific "explosive destruction," Jon!

At a velocity of about 2000 feet/second, it must have "provided" an
unbelievable "veering" effect to those two stubby little tapered
moment arms (the "toed-in" frustums) extending just above the thrust
beam's forward-attach points. This is especially true when one
considers that the two huge moment arms below that thrust beam were
each about ten times longer than a wee frustum.

Doesn't it bother you that Roger Balettie refers on his website to
this allegedly devastating LOX-tank "blowout" (see "contrast-enhanced
video" from Malabar) as simply the "ET forward flare?"

Oh well, maybe it just bothers Roger -- since you're the one he
credits with providing all that 'southern line-of-sight only' footage
for his website.

By the way, why is it that your own website does not show any optical
footage of activity throughout the Challenger fireball, or any optics
for the entry/exit dynamics of the 51-L boosters?

JTM -- www.mission51l.com

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