Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint

E32279

The Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint was a critical structural connection in the shuttle’s boosters whose flawed O-ring sealing design contributed to the Challenger disaster.

All labels observed (4)

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf rocket motor joint
structural connection
affectedBy SRB internal pressure during ignition and ascent
low ambient temperature at launch
associatedWithEvent Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
contributedTo loss of STS-51-L mission
loss of Space Shuttle Challenger
loss of seven astronauts on STS-51-L
evaluatedBy Rogers Commission investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
surface form: Rogers Commission
failedOn 1986-01-28
failureMode breach of right-hand solid rocket booster field joint
hot gas leak through primary O-ring
hasComponent O-ring seal
clevis
field joint insulation
joint putty
tang
hasDesignFeature field-assembled joint
pressure-actuated O-ring sealing
tang-and-clevis configuration
hasDesignFlaw insufficient O-ring squeeze at low temperature
joint rotation under internal pressure
reliance on putty to protect O-rings from hot gases
sensitivity to low-temperature performance of O-rings
susceptibility to O-ring blow-by
susceptibility to O-ring erosion
hasFunction maintain structural continuity between booster segments
seal internal combustion gases in solid rocket booster
influenced NASA safety and risk management practices
later solid rocket motor joint design standards
locatedOn right-hand Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
manufacturedBy Morton Thiokol
operatedAt high internal pressure
operatedWith Viton O-rings in later configurations
originalO-RingMaterial nitrile rubber
partOf Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint self-linksurface differs
surface form: Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster

NASA Space Shuttle program
surface form: Space Shuttle launch vehicle
redesignedAs post-Challenger SRB capture joint
redesignIncluded improved joint insulation
metal capture feature to limit joint rotation
third O-ring capture feature
riskCategory catastrophic failure mode
safetyConcernIdentifiedBy Morton Thiokol
surface form: Morton Thiokol engineers
safetyConcernRaisedBefore STS-51-L launch
subjectOf Rogers Commission investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
surface form: NASA post-Challenger redesign program

Rogers Commission investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
surface form: Rogers Commission Report
usedBy NASA
usedIn Space Shuttle launches

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Feynman O-ring ice water demonstration relatedToComponent Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint
NASA Space Shuttle program component Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint
this entity surface form: Solid Rocket Booster
NASA Space Shuttle program propulsion Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint
this entity surface form: Solid Rocket Boosters
Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint partOf Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster