More Challenger Doubletalk and Uncertainty

Challenger's "belly flash" presents a splendid opportunity to point
out the 51-L inconsistencies at JSC. In a hearing on March 7, 1986,
Tom Moser testified as follows:

"We now see a bright flash between the orbiter and the external tank,
and what that is an apparent-and we can't prove this conclusively, but
it appears to be now that that is a reaction or a burning of the
liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. They have now mixed sufficiently in
that region as they flow back to flash. Up until that point, it had
just been vapors."

However, one passage in Volume III of the Rogers Report describes it
this way:

"Analysis of film from camera E204 and the NASA Select video shows a
flash from the region between the Orbiter and the ET liquid hydrogen
tank with the apparent center (based on CAD analysis) at the Orbiter
midbody (see figure 78)."

That passage continues with a (previously linked) B/W photo from the
north:

"The view from camera E207 showing the right side of the vehicle
indicates a significant area of radiance between the aft dome and the
intertank."

Although I couldn't find a "belly flash" there, a bit later we see
this bit of circumlocution:

"The flash seen from viewing the left side of the vehicle is a
probable result of the forward propagation and enriched burning of the
SRB exhaust products in the separated flow region caused by the
anomalous SRB plume and the release of hydrogen from the aft liquid
hydrogen tank failure."

Well folks, I find NO, that's right, NO evidence of the "belly flash"
on the north side, in the view from camera E203 (due west):

http://mission51l.com/art/E203_13_17.jpg

What I *can* agree with is this statement from Volume III:

"This frame (see figure 74) shows fluid streaming from the ET hydrogen
tank aft barrel area. The aft barrel failure is suspected to have
begun at this time."

http://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v3n51b.htm (Figure 74)

Obviously this particular "fluid" is at the *left* SRB aft attach.

JTM
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: More Challenger Doubletalk and Uncertainty
    ... "We now see a bright flash between the orbiter and the external tank, ... The aft barrel failure is suspected to have ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Re: More Challenger Doubletalk and Uncertainty
    ... "We now see a bright flash between the orbiter and the external tank, ... "The view from camera E207 showing the right side of the vehicle ... The aft barrel failure is suspected to have ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Re: Here is another one of stupidty and flash powder
    ... which from that video frame doesn't appear to be the case. ... I believe they placed the tank on top of the device...a stupid idea ... consider the amount of flash powder (if it actually was flash ... Salutes are no more or less dangerous than cars, ...
    (rec.pyrotechnics)
  • Re: Here is another one of stupidty and flash powder
    ... It doesn't appear that they used the empty tank as a casing. ... I believe they placed the tank on top of the device...a stupid idea ... consider the amount of flash powder (if it actually was flash ... call your posts "why you shouldn't mess with automobiles" or firearms, ...
    (rec.pyrotechnics)
  • Re: Need help with glare when photographing frogs
    ... You may place a diffuser in front of the illumination of your tank. ... Or use a flash unit connected via a butterfly ... It is obvious that your camera lost all image information in the highlights. ... >I have poison dart frogs that I love to take pictures of and post to ...
    (rec.photo.digital)