Some Missing Insight into a More Complete History of the SRB Chamber-Pressure
Imbalance Which Existed During the Brief Ascent of Mission 51-L

Carefully inspect the two Right/Left SRB chamber-pressure plots from the links below. These two plots were provided by NASA to the Rogers Commission, after the Challenger disaster. Notice that they represent only one of each SRB's three chamber-pressure sensors (i.e., sensor 'C' only, not a mid-value based on sensors A, B, and C).

http://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v3n1.htm (signature page)
http://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v3n34a.htm (first plot)
http://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v3n35a.htm (second plot)

The trace-labeling on the two plots is inconsistent. It does not uniformly follow a single convention (i.e., to be consistent, the dark trace should represent the same SRB on both plots). Also, the lack of continuity between these two plots is unacceptable for a complete engineering analysis.

Furthermore, on the Commission's second plot the trace for the right SRB does not begin to drop out of acceptable limits until approximately the time of the explosion.

Telemetry from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) reveals that the two 'C' traces actually cross (see plot below) during the missing interval of time between the Rogers Commission's two chamber-pressure plots.

MSFC plot


The MSFC plot reproduced above (without the superimposed red trace and its labeling) was released by NASA at MSFC under the Freedom of Information Act. Later, the red trace was added manually, from additional MSFC telemetry obtained via the FOIA. It is my conclusion that a 51-L SRB chamber-pressure cover-up at NASA is an integral part of the Presidential Commission's Report. For more information, see Plot.

Copyright 2004-2005 by John Thomas Maxson. All rights reserved.