European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 the stars and stripes saturday february 22,1986 firm reversed advisory on Booster seals Washington a the company that manufactures space shuttle Booster rockets recommended the launch of the challenger even though it believed colder flight weather might stiffen critical safety seals and Lessen heir ability to contain hot exhaust gases documents  recommending the launch Morton Thi Okol inc. Predicted if the primary Seal docs not seat the secondary Seal will scat Mai recommends. Launch proceed on 28 january 1986."that represented a reversal of previous company opposition to the launch for fear of the effect that cold weather would have on the seals. Members of a presidential com Mission investigating the Accident Are trying to determine if Morton Thi Okol changed its mind because of pressure from space Agency officials anxious to launch an already delayed shuttle  recommendation was in a notice transmitted to National aeronautics and space administration officials14 hours before challenger s ill fated flight and after a lengthy debate about the effect of cold weather on the  assessment appears to contradict a Morton Thi Okol presentation to Nasa dated last August on the seals Large synthetic rubber of rings that Seal the Booster rocket segments. The assessment said that if a primary of ring fails Early in the flight there is a likelihood that the secon Dary Seal will not be Able to provide  about the Impact of cold weather on the solid fuel rocket boosters provoked a lengthy debate in the hours before the launch and some Morton Thi Okol Engi neers persisted in their opposition even after the decision was made to recommend a launch. The debate became so intense that according to National Public radio Lawrence Mulloy head of the solid fuel rocket Booster project at Nasa s Marshall spaceflight Center in Huntsville ala., asked Morton Thi Okol officials in a conference Telephone Call my god Thi Okol when do you want me to launch next april members of the presidential commission Are in Hunts Ville As part of their probe. Concern about the ability of the of ring seals to performs an old Issue at Nasa. Agency documents released last week showed that i March 1983 the space Agency eased its fail Safe require ments for the Booster seals. That said in effect that secondary ring was not needed even though Nasa knew that when pressure rises in the rocket at ignition there i bulging of the Booster segments which May permit gases to pass by the secondary Seal. But Nasa noted that in 18 tests of solid fuel rocket boosters no failures have been  Nasa released Morton Thi Okol s challenger Engi Neering assessment on thursday a Day in which the probe into the nation s worst space disaster also took apolitical twist pitting the space Agency s top official against an influential democratic senator. The lawmaker sen. Ernest Hollings , called forthe resignation of or. William Graham saying the acting administrator is really Over his  Hollings accuse Graham of having falsely represented the facts when he was asked at a Senate hearing if there was any evidence that Morton Thi Okol had opposed the launch. The evidence is in the other direction Graham re plied at the hearing. Hollings pointed out that at least one company Engi Neer Allan Mcdonald persisted in his objections after the firm gave its official approval. Graham fired Back with a press release defending misstatement and noted that he told Hollings at the hearing the decision was a very Complex process that occurred Over a substantial period of time and made a simple yes or no answer difficult. He coupled that statement with the release of the Morton Thi Okol document. Challenger blew up 73 seconds into its Light killing Al seven Crew members. Experts arc investigating the possibility that the Accident was caused by a failure in a seam that joins segments of the right Booster rocket. In other shuttle developments thursday Nasa officials said they were investigating whether a Small undetected leak of super cold fuel from the shuttle s main tank May have Frozen the of ring seals in the adjacent Booster rocket leading to the Accident. The Mai tank is 24 inches from the solid fuel rocket boosters. Members of a presidential commission fanned out to several space Agency locations around the country to press their own investigation into the Accident. The panel re Sumes Public hearings tuesday and wednesday. Graham announced the appointment of two time shuttle flier rear adm. Richard truly As the new head of the space shuttle program. Truly takes Over for Jesse Moore whose appointment As the new Boss at the Johnson space Center in Houston was announced before the Chal Lenger disaster. Truly pledged to fix the cause of the Acci Dent and make the shuttles Fly again. If nobody docs it i will he vowed. Congress from Page 1 bar Ger outlined to medic september. The paper was lit left tired care shifted to Low  the military health care system itself Isnow the patient and you Are the doctor the paper said. We need your assistance to preserve a system which assures you free Dom of Choice and maintains the Quality the accountability and responsiveness Nec Essary for Good health care. Gruendyke s objections have entered on Pentagon proposals to have some family members and retirees obtain their Basic health care through a system of civilian contract operated clinics or private physician groups rather than through military hospitals or the civilian health and medi Cal program of the uniformed champs. Specialized care such Asj pry would still be available . The proposals a mind at redirecting the services Jujj tried health care facilities towards Skific medical readiness. Talking paper said a solution being advocated is to reduce the number of paediatricians obstetricians and other non surgeons. Only a few family members would continue to receive care at military facilities and the rest would receive care in the civil Ian sector Greendyke s paper said. If events continue As planned it said retirees would have less free Dom of if medical care Persona costs would  for care would be less. But Mayer repeatedly lol Unity forums this week that no p been developed. He said the pent Only exploring ways to do big Gletter than under champs Rynie said is too costly and by current for Iury members or retirees civilian doctor they pay an deductible and a percentage of the. And champs pays the rest. About 25 percent to 30 percent of family member Sand retirees now choose to go to civilian doctors. Mayer said any plan would retain peo ple s Freedom of Choice and require records and facilities to be reviewed by military officials. Family members and retirees who preferred to go to a military medical facility or a private doctor of their own choosing could continue to do so. Mayor said. He also said he could not simply fire paediatricians and obstetricians and hire More surgeons even though the military has far More of those specialities than it would need to go to War and not enough surgeons. Mayer issued his own posit in month the truth Abuja freeform  said the project hang mar to improve our ability to  health care in times of Var and peace to everyone in our Mill  Aid the plan would not  dependent and Reti ree medical care text lathe lowest , it would  care services overseas. At the september meeting with commanders Mayer said Tough Cho will have to be made to restore the system ability to perform its primary Mission of Tak ing care of casualties achieving and maintaining medical readiness will be the guiding principle in determining the size and scope of Active duty and Reserve forces training programs our facilities and in House workload he from Page 1 from disclosing information about his Case or his  embassy spokesman insisting on anonymity said a . Consular officer visited Bothwell thursday. Is. Consular " intervene in British courts on solving .   violating Sec Tion  s 1911 official secrets act. He entered no plea at a 15-min-Ute hearing at Bow Street magistrates court and was ordered held in custody Forone week pending further hearings. Ate William Robbins rest Coly report to which would Tous charge of carrying out rather than preparing to carry out a crime. Bothwell tanned and Gray haired smile Dat his wife in the Public gallery As he entered the Central London court. He wore a checked Blazer and carried a Raincoat a and a copy of  _ arge alleged that on Orore feb. 16,1986, he did an act preparatory to the commission of an offence under the official secrets act by making arrangements for the communication to a Perl of information to be or Likely to be if etly useful to an  Olk address " Bath buttress  months of the year in England arid the time in Athens Greece. Licker from Page 1 Point of being constructive and Start destructive he said. And in a direct reference to a claim Yeutter that the Dollar should drop j another 10 percent to is percent said then i Guys a  with or. Yen log Ping before the joint Etc nomic committee earlier in the Day denied he had any fundamental difference on the Issue with Volcker. Baker said he was talking Only of an orderly continued descent of the Dollar not a free  1 Baker i new i butter while and Volcker were All on Wavelength told a House Trade sue Mittee in my opinion we have not reached an equilibrium  Volcker did not distinguish Between a gradual further decline  an said Rcpt  an _ Sage std that any further drop in the Dollar might be hazardous saying we Are approaching the danger zone. Sen. William Proxmire d-wis., commented it s a novel theory that the decline of the Dollar will not be of some help some All other things being  be n8 equal is not world  old scr replied. Said. We will change the expectation that the military health care system As jus. No know it must accomplish to  and peacetime i Yummy Rycer said. I if Home of the very sub Clive duty workload that you traditionally been pushed to recapture May no longer belong in House. It is not work that uses and challenges wartime Rele vant personnel. And it sorely strains you resources and detracts from your readiness Mission. I will reduce authorization for Active duty personnel facilities and training that do not meet our wartime Mission require ments Mayer said. Weinberger told the doctors at the Sam meeting there Are alternatives in the civilian Community for meeting family oriented medical care. Am directing or. Mayer aggressively  with Community med ical re Snell Uberte they Are available and where they Mew High Quality Stan Dards Weinberg end Shu writer Chuck Vlinch c 10 this Slov temperatures february 20 l a a 34 u n Atria Alia 27 chfcigl15 u Cleve 31 a Dallas u Denvir it 45 denver10 30 Detroit 63 ii honolulu45 42 Houlton l h20 10 Kanu t 43 m Las Veta n lot am u 12 Miami 44 a new f 65 14 54 75 j9 44 22 44 pill32 a Sale 41 41 Colv european v at forecast for saturday Lair skies with morning fog. Suffered Snow Shower while slight Chance of Snow. High 201. Tows from near 5 to u in. Sunrise sunday 72o.chenge with temperatures temperatures recorded 4om4madana, p 44 40 a Cope Nhai. Amsterdam i 14 231v ,. P 34 of London in Valano in 31 v Madrid Oberlin p 21 f Munich t Bremerhaven i 21 of Paris of Brussels i if Karat p 7th weather so 10 Kcal Lonelva areas wll have g areas wll have. Ures Tow to my is met a Alurdas sunday mile 4am 4pmit 23 12 17a 10 4s Sou ii lit 30n a other Worun Odoj he Cairo i Dublin cd Helsinki Jerusalem cd Lisbon r a partly c lures Montreal a Moscow Oslo d Toronto Vancouver skilled by the associated  hair a Rains Snow in fog