Xref: utzoo sci.space:7248 sci.space.shuttle:1315 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdcad!ames!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!ncr-sd!ncrlnk!ncrwic!encad!mjohnson From: mjohnson@encad.Wichita.NCR.COM (Mark Johnson) Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Unmanned w/old SRBs (was Re: space news from July 11 AW&ST) Summary: cleaning out SRM cases Message-ID: <479@encad.Wichita.NCR.COM> Date: 26 Sep 88 17:27:55 GMT References: <1988Aug16.040406.5434@utzoo.uucp> <6137@dasys1.UUCP> <1988Sep24.053829.16201@utzoo.uucp> Organization: NCR Corporation, Wichita, Kansas Lines: 27 In article <1988Sep24.053829.16201@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: > In article <484@c10sd1.StPaul.NCR.COM> johnson@c10sd1.StPaul.NCR.COM (Wayne D. T. Johnson) writes: > >... why not remove the oxidizer from the > >old segments and put it into the new ones? > > available for re-use. As far as I know, there's no other safe way of > cleaning them out. Why not use the method which the AF and its contractors use to renew the solid propellant in the Minuteman missiles every ten years or so? The motors are cleaned out by the use of a high pressure water jet, which can cut the rubbery perchlorate/polymer material without any ignition risk such as a mechanical cutting tool would entail. Many if not all of the Minuteman birds currently installed in silos have been cleaned out and reloaded this way at least once. It also allows updating the propellant technology to the latest available. Solid fuel mixes have been fairly constant in composition but some advances do take place (higher energy binders, new tricks with combustion accleration/retardation, etc) Fuel for the flames from... -- Mark Johnson (Mark.Johnson@Wichita.NCR.COM) NCR Engineering & Manufacturing-Wichita, KS phone: (316)636-8189 email:...!rutgers!hplabs!hp-sdd!ncr-sd!ncrwic!encad!mjohnson US snailnet: 3718 N. Rock Rd., Wichita, KS 67226