What resulted directly from the loss of seal integrity in the Challenger's SRB?
Answer
Breach of the external tank wall leading to vehicle tearing apart.
The initial failure of the O-ring seals in the right Solid Rocket Booster allowed superheated combustion gases to escape the booster casing. This escaping gas stream impinged upon and burned through the wall of the adjacent external fuel tank. This breach in the external tank wall caused the structural integrity of the vehicle stack to fail rapidly under the combined stresses of internal pressure and external aerodynamic forces, resulting in the entire vehicle being torn apart within seconds of the initial leak.
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