SRB - Solid Rocket Boosters

SRB as flown on STS-47

KSC-96PC-0912_STS-79_SRB.jpg	SRB's are rarely seen completed since they are stacked in the VAB and shortly afterwards the ET is attached, then the orbiter. So, the STS-47 launch photo at right is useful for showing a side view of a whole SRB.	STS47-S-019_c.jpg	SRB nose, or "Frustum", has separation rockets, 3 main parachutes, and a system combining an altimeter and timer for the deployment sequence of the chutes. The round dark brown (phenolic?) circles are plates that have a hole in the center to serve as a barometric vent. There are six of these.	KSC-81PC-0395_STS-1.jpg
STS-79 SRB stacking in VAB		Photo from STS-47 folder		STS-1 frustum recovered
SRB_Nose_Scan.jpg	Right: Frustum with Forward Skirt. The Forward Skirt carries the thrust loads from the SRB to a crossbeam in the ET's intertank. The forward skirt also contains various alectronics and guidance components.	KSC-00PP-0859.jpg	Left: The rectangular piece on the Forward Skirt, with a yellow item on top of it, is the hard point for transferring the SRB thrust loads to the ET. Note also the Foward Skirt banding, which actually is the result of the areas in between being milled out, not bands added. And the stepped increased thickness closer to the hardpoint.	Draft drawing showing some details of the Frustums, Forward Skirts, and Aft Skirts (circa 1992/STS-47)
Either STS-1 or 2. Pipe seen on left side of ET is an anti-geyser line that was deleted a few flights later. Note stringers visible in intertank area near SRB which was filled in by foam on later ET's (until the SLWT's) Photo from Stack Closeups folder
KSC-99PP-1308_sts103.jpg	KSC-00PP-1680.jpg	Endeavour_2_m.jpg	STS-36_Feb90_ET-33_BI036.jpg	STS-36_ETAR_LH2%20detail.jpg
STS-103 SRB details including pad use of the octagonal servicing openings in Aft Skirt from Stack Closeups folder	Forward Skirt & Frustum details in photo with crew from STS-97 Endeavour. Note that the yellow covers over the Forward Skirt Hatches are removed before flight.	Decent view of overall SRB STS-49 photo from Endeavour non-STS-47 folder	Good view of upper SRB details.	In addition to struts, note the ETAR (ET Attachment Ring) encircling the SRB. Photo from ET folder
Two views of the ":LOADED" markings on the SRB's. There have been some slight changes in the markings, it looks like the originals were stenciled (See STS-1 image). And the locations were not the same by 1992 as they were in earlier years. Do not know when but the change to the current layout may been for STS-26, Return to Flight. From the era of at least STS-47 to today, the markings are located three at 120 degrees apart, in 4 places. For a total of 12 per SRB. The drawing at the top of the page shows the locations.	LOADED-2.JPG	RealSpace Models has a nice decal sheet, but the LOADED markings are in error. They are not the correct font style (theirs look like Helvetica). More seriously, they are about twice as large as they should be.	LOADED-1.JPG	The photo at left also shows a nice view of the system tunnel. The tunnel is made up of many segments that are bolted in place. Then the segments are sealed by a special mixture of epoxy and ground cork. Also visible parallel to the tunnel is a flat cable line that carries electrical power to the heater bands at the SRB joints. All SRB's from STS-26 onwards have had these.
IEA_cover_closeout.jpg		harbor_tow_bracket.jpg		LOADED_SRB_STACK.JPG
ETAR - ET Attach Ring, showing a portion of a cover that is on the +Z (orbiter) side. Note the foam insulation on the top and bottom of the ETAR as well as the cork/epoxy sealer on the cover.		Harbor Tow bracket on ETAR. There is also a Harbor Tow Bracket on the Forward Skirt		View of SRB aft attachment, including one of the struts. The SRB struts only serve to keep the aft portion of the SRB parallel to the ET. They transfer no upward thrust loads. Also, due to the shrinkage of the ET by 5.5" when filled with Liquid Hydrogen, the SRB Aft Struts are designed to pivot along the vertical (flight direction) axis.
There are many stiffener bands below the ETAR. Of those, three are Stiffener Rings, with a sideways "T" cross-section. The undersides of those three are filled in with foam to reduce impact shock when landing in the ocean	srbstiffrings.JPG	stiffener_ring_closeout.jpg	89l1d.gif	Stiff_Rings-Tunnel.JPG
		Closer view of two of the Stiffener Rings and Systems Tunnel	More photos like this in the Florida Today folder	A photo of the aft SRB segment, useful as a reference for some of the details shown here.
"Kick Ring" is the red ring between the bottom of the SRM case and the top of the Aft Skirt. At lower right, barely visible, are some of the six Octagonal openings used for servicing the systems in the Aft Skirt. Those are closed up by octagonal cover plates before launch.	kick_ring_rooster_tail.JPG	Visible in both photos is the "Rooster Tail" that carries the systems tunnel lines inside the Aft Skirt	kick_ring_rooster_tail_2.JP.JPG	Columbia_Upnozzle_s.jpg
				Good view of aft details Photo from Stack Closeups Folder
Very close-up details of the Aft Skirt on the pad	northholdownpost.JPG	southholdownpost.JPG	srbnozzle.JPG	srbpurge.JPG
Photo of SRB nozzle by itself. The black band is where the lower half of the SRB nozzle is sheared off by an explosive charge before the SRB splashes down. It reduces landing loads on the SRB.	srm_nozzle.jpg	The SRB nozzle does gimbal. To allow for the nozzle tilting, without heat or flames getting inside of the aft skirt, there is a hollow flexible flame curtain with a cross-section much like a hollow half-donut. The joints of the curtain are covered over by heatproof tape, as seen here.	TC_closeout.jpg	8114209_STS1_SRBsep.jpg
Also see ET , Florida Today, and Struts & Interfaces				Orbiter ET umbilical view just before SRB sep on STS-1

SRB - Solid Rocket Boosters

Shuttle Data Main	ICD Drawings	STS-47 - Endeavour	Endeavour not STS-047	ET Photos
SRB	Orbiter	SSME Engines	Struts & Interfaces	Stacking
Stack Closeups	Shuttle On Pad	Launches	MSFC	STS-91 Lite ET
STS-95_Glenn	STS-98_ISS	Florida Today	747 Shuttle	Other