What would happen if one of the Space Shuttles solid fuel boosters ignited but not the other one?

Question

The Shuttle has mechanical lockdowns that don't release until all engines are at full power.

Answer 1

It would either careen out of control, crash and explode, or tip over on the pad, then explode. Either way, there's no way for either the main engines, or any other steering system to prevent the Shuttle from crashing. No doubt the external tank isn't designed to withstand the stresses from one solid rocket booster firing instead of both as they're supposed to. It would certainly rupture and release it's contents which would be ignited by the exhaust from the operating SRB or a spark somewhere. Either way, the crew wouldn't have a prayer of surviving, and the launch facility would be destroyed. You're talking about an explosion equal to a small tactical nuclear warhead, and if such an event occurs it would be nothing less than a disatrous setback for American spaceflight programs.

Answer 2

  Now that would be a mess.. Once those things are lit  ..  they can't be shut down. Seems the shuttle would go for a while (probably not straight) and then be in all kinds of trouble.. it would not have enough power to get into orbit. I would not want to be on the shuttle that this scenario happened to..

Answer 3

Assymmetric SRB ignition is the shuttle-launch worst case.  The shuttle "stack" would tip over sideways and explode on the pad.  In the dry language of risk analysis, this scenario is described as "loss of mission, vehicle, crew, and launch facilities."

Naturally the mechanism is designed is ensure that both motors ignite.  This is achieved through redundant ignition sources and signals, and ensuring the availability of electrical power at the igniter.

EDIT 1:

One SRB's thrust is not enough to lift the vehicle.  It would not move clear of the pad.  It would essentially rotate in place and crash on or adjacent to the MLP.  There are no steering rockets operating at this point; the ascending shuttle steers normally by gimballing the SRB nozzles, then by gimballing the SSMEs.  There is not enough play in the thrust-vector gimballing system to compensate for the off-axis thrust.

Answer 4

A very large expensive pinwheel.

Answer 5

  If only one ignited the shuttle would immediately go out of control and crash.

  Stabilizing rockets would hold it for a few seconds getting it away from the pad to minimize the collateral damage.

Answer 6

very bad news.

this is why the ignition system for the srbs is about 10-way redundant.