Space Shuttle solid rocket booster separation system

Separation of the Shuttle's solid rocket boosters (SRB) is accomplished by a method somewhat similar to that used for the Titan III. However, due primarily to the presence of the orbiter, the design of the SRB separation system has had to satisfy unique requirements. The supersonic staging of parallel boosters to clear a thrusting, winged, and manned vehicle is a new development complicated by asymmetrical SRB thrust and complex aerodynamics. The SRB separation system, the separation sequence, and flight control method are described. The approach taken to verify the separation system for flight is presented, and its performance on STS-1 and STS-2, the first times that the integrated separation system was tested under true flight conditions, is summarized.