[wolfpat]

Before anybody reminds you that there are no carbon units with an oxygen/hydrogen reaction, IIRC they use kerosene to light the thing off.
What are the solid boosters using for fuel?
(And is it true that the only reason the solid boosters were used is that they're made in Walter Mondale's district?)

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

The solid boosters uses a mixture of liquid polysulfide rubber, Ammonium Perchlorate, and a little powdered Aluminum. A curing agent is added to the mix before pouring and it cures to the consistency of a pencil eraser.

[Ichneumon]

(And is it true that the only reason the solid boosters were used is that they're made in Walter Mondale's district?)

No, the Shuttle wouldn't be able to achieve orbit without them.

[Lx]

The SRBs are made in Utah, Modale is from Minnesota. There is a Utah connection. The head of NASA was James Fletcher (from Utah) and it was said he was the reason Morton Thiokil's(sp?) multi segmented booster got the contract when Aerojet's one piece design made in Florida lost out to Thiokil.

Keep in mind this is mostly coming from my memory from reading the book, "Challenger, a Major Malfunction".

[Nik Naym]

"What are the solid boosters using for fuel?
(And is it true that the only reason the solid boosters were used is that they're made in Walter Mondale's district?)"

Solid boosters use an Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant.

AP is the oxidizer. Not sure what the rest is, but likely it is a mixture of some metals such as Aluminum (Guessing here) and others, held in a rubber binder. (Speculating here)

The solid boosters were used because it is a cheap way to get a lot of thrust. Drawback is that once they are lit, they go full blast until they run out of fuel. Can't be throttled or turned off.

They were originally made by Morton Thiokol in Utah. Hardly Mondale's district. However, they are made in sections (which caused the first disaster) so they can be transported to Florida. Of course, way back in the day bids for one piece boosters made closer to the launch site were rejected due to powerful politicians in Thiokol's home state.

The shuttle is an amazing technological answer to a question we never asked.

Politics had everything to do with its very existence, and much to do with its design.

We should have continued with Apollo to its end and progressed from there, IMHO.