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  Shuttle booster seperation motors to be detonated

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Author Topic:   Shuttle booster seperation motors to be detonated
Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-18-2013 08:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Florida Today reports that Kennedy Space Center next week will detonate the remaining solid rocket booster separation motors.
But there's no risk to the general public, NASA assures, nor will these final shuttle-related "blast offs" deliver much of a bang to local ears.

"They will not really be able to hear this," said Anthony Tripp, a professional engineer with the state Department of Environmental Protection. "It's not going to make a big boom, anyway."

The motors — each of which contain 78 pounds of explosives — performed a brief but key function, pushing the spent boosters away from the space shuttle orbiters. This allowed the boosters to tumble into the Atlantic Ocean, where they were recovered for reuse.

The final burns of the separation motors are quick and fairly clean.

"Just like a shuttle launch, all that's going to be left is some gases that are not hazardous. They burn off very quickly," Tripp said.

All times are CT (US)

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