Contingency Situations and Plans for Retrieval of Solid Rocket Boosters of the NASA Space Shuttle

Implementation of the normal modes of retrieval of Solid Rocket Booster and their associated hardware may not always be possible. It is therefore necessary to plan, design and fabricate systems which provide for an alternate method of retrieval for those recoverable items which fall into the sea. Currently, NASA has elected to confine itself to providing telescopic harpoons for operation from a slightly modified Nozzle Plug or by divers. During the studies conducted at NOSC, many contingency situations were identified and solutions for them were conceptualized. Selected examples with appropriate illustrations are presented herein.