.059 SCALE MODEL OF APOLLO LAUNCH ESCAPE SYSTEM
This cutaway illustration shows the Apollo Spacecraft with callouts of the major components. The spacecraft consisted of the lunar module, the service module, the command module, and the launch escape system.
Space shuttle orange launch and entry suit (LES), a partial pressure suit, is modeled by a technician. LES was designed for STS-26, the return to flight mission, and subsequent missions. Included in the crew escape system (CES) package are launch and entry helmet (LEH) with communications carrier (COMM CAP), parachute pack and harness, life raft, life preserver unit (LPU), LES gloves, suit oxygen manifold and valves, boots, and survival gear.
Line drawings illustrate the front and back of the space shuttle launch and entry suit (LES) and labels identify various components. LES was designed for STS-26, the return to flight mission, and subsequent missions. Included in the crew escape system (CES) package are launch and entry helmet (LEH) with communications carrier (COMM CAP), parachute pack and harness, life preserver unit (LPU), life raft unit (LRU), LES gloves, suit oxygen manifold and valves, boots, and survival gear. Details of larger components are also identified.
S93-25030 (15 Dec 1992) --- Two astronauts assigned to fly aboard Endeavour for the STS-54 mission are briefed on the slidewire escape system at the launch pad. Pictured in the slidewire litter are astronauts Gregory J. Harbaugh (left) and Susan J. Helms, mission specialists. They are assisted by Max Kandler of Lockheed, Houston. All five crewmembers are in Florida this week to participate in countdown demonstration tests.
S88-40898 (4 May 1988) --- Astronauts, members of the orbiter close-out crew and fire and rescue personnel participate in a simulated emergency egress exercise near the slide wire termination point bunker at Launch Pad 39B. The simulated exercise was performed to familiarize personnel with evacuation routes as well as emergency equipment and procedures. Reasons for conducting the emergency exercises include the need to validate recent post-Challenger upgrades to the launch pad's emergency escape system and the new procedures developed in preparation for STS-26. (NOTE: The astronaut pictured and many of the others who participated in the exercises are not members of STS-26 prime crew).
STS-65 Japanese Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai takes a break from training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Wearing a training version of the orange launch and entry suit (LES), Mukai stands at the crew compartment trainer (CCT) side hatch in the Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9NE. Note the crew escape system (CES) pole device extending out the side hatch which would accommodate crewmembers in bailout from a troubled spacecraft. Mukai represents the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan and will serve as a payload specialist aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, during the STS-65 International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2) mission.
S93-25028 (15 Dec 1992) --- Astronauts assigned to fly aboard Endeavour pose near the Shuttle during a break in countdown demonstration tests. Left to right are Susan J. Helms, Donald R. McMonagle, Gregory J. Harbaugh, John H. Casper and Mario Runco Jr.
VAN HORN, Texas – Blue Origin’s New Shepard crew capsule escaped to an altitude of 2,307 feet before deploying parachutes for a safe return for a pad escape test at the company's West Texas launch site. The pusher escape system was designed and developed by Blue Origin to allow crew escape in the event of an emergency during any phase of ascent for its suborbital New Shepard system. As part of an incremental development program, the results of this test will shape the design of the escape system for the company's orbital biconic-shaped Space Vehicle. The system is expected to enable full reusability of the launch vehicle, which is different from NASA's previous launch escape systems that would pull a spacecraft away from its rocket before reaching orbit. The test was part of Blue Origin's work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2). Through initiatives like CCDev2, NASA is fostering the development of a U.S. commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. After the capability is matured and available to the government and other customers, NASA could contract to purchase commercial services to meet its station crew transportation needs. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Blue Origin
S62-04976 (31 Aug. 1962) --- Artist concept of the Mercury capsule with its launch escape system. Photo credit: NASA
G61-00030 (4 Nov. 1959) --- Launch of Little Joe-2 from Wallops Island carrying Mercury spacecraft test article. The suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule was to test the escape system. Vehicle functioned perfectly, but escape rocket ignited several seconds too late. Photo credit: NASA
B60-00364 (4 Nov. 1959) --- Launch of Little Joe-2 from Wallops Island carrying Mercury spacecraft test article. The suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule was to test the escape system. Vehicle functioned perfectly, but escape rocket ignited several seconds too late. Photo credit: NASA
CEV (Crew Escape Vehicle) Alternative Launch Abort System (ALAS) configuration test in the Ames 11ft wind tunnel. Test-11-0172
CEV (Crew Escape Vehicle) Alternaive Launch Abort System (ALAS) configuration test in the Ames 11ft wind tunnel. Test-11-0172
CEV (Crew Escape Vehicle) Alternative Launch Abort System (ALAS) configuration test in the Ames 11ft wind tunnel. Test-11-0172 with Paul Espinosa
This photograph depicts installation of the Mercury capsule and escape system on top of a booster prior to test firing of the Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
CEV/LAS (Crew Escape Vehicle - Launch Abort System) 51 aeroacoustics test-11-0185 in the Ames Research Center 11ft Transonic Wind Tunnel.
CEV (Crew Escape Vehicle) Alternative Launch Abort System (ALAS) configuration test in the Ames 11ft wind tunnel. Test-11-0172
S96-18553 (30 Oct. 1996) --- Astronaut Scott J. Horowitz, pilot, gets help with his launch and entry suit prior to a training session in JSC's systems integration facility. Wearing training versions of the partial pressure launch and entry escape suit, Horowitz and his crewmates went on to simulate an emergency ejection, using the escape pole system on the mid deck, as well as other phases of their scheduled February mission.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shutle astronauts being briefed on the emergency pad escape system are (left to right) Loren Shriver (with hat), Prime Crew Pilot Bob Criippen and Commander John Young. The slidewire system provides a quick escape from upper launch pad platforms in case of a serious emergency. The flight crews wore the spacesuits and other equipment to be worn during a mission, but sandbags were used to duplicate the weight of riders in the slidewire baskets during the training.
S96-18547 (30 Oct. 1996) --- Astronaut Kenneth D. Bowersox, STS-82 mission commander, chats with a crewmate (out of frame) prior to an emergency bailout training session in JSC's systems integration facility. Wearing training versions of the partial pressure launch and entry escape suit, Bowersox and his crew simulated an emergency ejection, using the escape pole system on the middeck.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle prime crew Commander John Young and Pilot Bob Crippen watch as backup crew members Richard Truly and Joe Engle board the emergency pad escape system known as the slidewire. The slidewire system provides a quick escape from upper launch pad platforms in case of a serious emergency. The flight crews wore the spacesuits and other equipment to be worn during a mission, but sandbags were used to duplicate the weight of riders in the slidewire baskeets during the training.
S96-18552 (30 Oct. 1996) --- Astronaut Kenneth D. Bowersox (left), STS-82 mission commander, chats with astronaut Scott J. Horowitz prior to an emergency bailout training session in JSC's systems integration facility. Wearing training versions of the partial pressure launch and entry escape suit, Bowersox and his crew simulated an emergency ejection, using the escape pole system on the mid deck, as well as other phases of their scheduled February mission.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle prime crew astronauts Bob Crippen (left) and John Young (center) board the emergency pad escape system known as the 'slidewire.' The slidewire system provides a quick escape from upper launch pad platforms in case of a serious emergency. The flight crews wore the spacesuits and other equipment to be worn during a mission, but sandbags were used to duplicate the weight of riders in the slidewire baskets during the training.
VAN HORN, Texas – Blue Origin’s pusher escape system rockets its New Shepard crew capsule away from a simulated propulsion module launch pad at the company's West Texas launch site, demonstrating a key safety system for both suborbital and orbital flights. The pad escape test took the company's suborbital crew capsule to an altitude of 2,307 feet during the flight test before descending safely by parachute to a soft landing 1,630 feet away. The pusher escape system was designed and developed by Blue Origin to allow crew escape in the event of an emergency during any phase of ascent for its suborbital New Shepard system. As part of an incremental development program, the results of this test will shape the design of the escape system for the company's orbital biconic-shaped Space Vehicle. The system is expected to enable full reusability of the launch vehicle, which is different from NASA's previous launch escape systems that would pull a spacecraft away from its rocket before reaching orbit. The test was part of Blue Origin's work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2). Through initiatives like CCDev2, NASA is fostering the development of a U.S. commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. After the capability is matured and available to the government and other customers, NASA could contract to purchase commercial services to meet its station crew transportation needs. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Blue Origin
A Mercury capsule is mounted inside the Altitude Wind Tunnel for a test of its escape tower rockets at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. In October 1959 NASA’s Space Task Group allocated several Project Mercury assignments to Lewis. The Altitude Wind Tunnel was quickly modified so that its 51-foot diameter western leg could be used as a test chamber. The final round of tests in the Altitude Wind Tunnel sought to determine if the smoke plume from the capsule’s escape tower rockets would shroud or compromise the spacecraft. The escape tower, a 10-foot steel rig with three small rockets, was attached to the nose of the Mercury capsule. It could be used to jettison the astronaut and capsule to safety in the event of a launch vehicle malfunction on the pad or at any point prior to separation from the booster. Once actuated, the escape rockets would fire, and the capsule would be ejected away from the booster. After the capsule reached its apex of about 2,500 feet, the tower, heatshield, retropackage, and antenna would be ejected and a drogue parachute would be released. Flight tests of the escape system were performed at Wallops Island as part of the series of Little Joe launches. Although the escape rockets fired prematurely on Little Joe’s first attempt in August 1959, the January 1960 follow-up was successful.
S88-42425 (20 July 1988) --- STS-26 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Pilot Richard O. Covey, wearing the newly designed launch and entry suit (LES), floats in single-occupant life raft in JSC Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 pool. The simulation of the escape and rescue operations utilized the crew escape system (CES) pole method of egress from the Space Shuttle.
S96-18557 (30 Oct. 1996) --- Astronauts Steven A. Hawley (left) and Gregory J. Harbaugh participate in a training session in JSC's systems integration facility. Wearing training versions of the partial pressure launch and entry escape suit, the two STS-82 mission specialists and their crewmates simulated an emergency ejection, using an escape pole on the mid deck, as well as other phases of their scheduled February mission.
S96-18556 (30 Oct. 1996) --- Astronauts Scott J. Horowitz (standing) and Kenneth D. Bowersox wind up suit donning for a training session in JSC's systems integration facility. Wearing training versions of the partial pressure launch and entry escape suit, the STS-82 pilot and mission commander joined their crewmates in simulating an emergency ejection, using an escape pole on the mid deck, as well as other phases of their scheduled February mission.
VAN HORN, Texas – Blue Origin’s New Shepard crew capsule touched down 1,630 feet from the its simulated propulsion module launch pad at the company's West Texas launch site, completing a successful test of its New Shepard crew capsule escape system. The pusher escape system was designed and developed by Blue Origin to allow crew escape in the event of an emergency during any phase of ascent for its suborbital New Shepard system. As part of an incremental development program, the results of this test will shape the design of the escape system for the company's orbital biconic-shaped Space Vehicle. The system is expected to enable full reusability of the launch vehicle, which is different from NASA's previous launch escape systems that would pull a spacecraft away from its rocket before reaching orbit. The test was part of Blue Origin's work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2). Through initiatives like CCDev2, NASA is fostering the development of a U.S. commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. After the capability is matured and available to the government and other customers, NASA could contract to purchase commercial services to meet its station crew transportation needs. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Blue Origin
S63-00193 (29 July 1960) --- Launch of the unmanned Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Premature engine cutoff at launch terminated the test. Emergency escape system jettisoned. The Altas exploded 65 seconds after launch. Photo credit: NASA
STS-34 crewmembers sit in M1-13 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) during emergency egress training at KSC's shuttle landing facility (SLF) prior to terminal countdown demonstration test (TCDT) activities. Wearing launch and entry suits (LESs), are (from left) Mission Specialist (MS) Ellen S. Baker, MS Shannon W. Lucid, Commander Donald E. Williams (right side, in back), MS Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, and Pilot Michael J. McCulley (holding headset). View provided by KSC with alternate number KSC-89PC-871.
S89-45249 (13 Sept 1989) --- The astronaut crewmembers for NASA's STS-34 mission prepare to participate in emergency egress training in their partially pressurized flight suits with attached cooling packs at the Shuttle landing facility. Left to right are Astronauts Michael J. McCulley, pilot; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Ellen S. Baker and Shannon W. Lucid, all mission specialists; and Donald E. Williams, mission commander. The five were at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) primarily to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). The Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to be launched October 12. Primary payload for the five-day mission is the spacecraft Galileo which will be deployed in space begin its journey to Jupiter.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Complex 39A, space shuttle prime and backup astronaut crews plus other astronauts and ground personnel are given training on the use of the emergency pad escape system known as the “slidewire”. The slidewire system provides a quick escape from upper launch pad platforms in case of a serious emergency. The flight crews wear the spacesuits and other equipment to be worn during a mission, but sandbags are used to duplicate the weight of riders in the slidewire baskets during the training. The STS-1 mission, known as a shuttle systems test flight, will seek to demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew and verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle -- orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank. STS-1 will be launched from Pad A at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 no earlier than March 1981.
The Little Joe launch vehicle for the LJ1 mission on the launch pad at the wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on January 21, 1960. This mission achieved the suborbital Mercury cupsule test, testing of the escape system, and biomedical tests by using a monkey, named Miss Sam.
The launch of the Little Joe booster for the LJ1B mission on the launch pad from the wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on January 21, 1960. This mission achieved the suborbital Mercury capsule test, testing of the escape system, and biomedical tests by using a monkey, named Miss Sam.
Members of the Artemis II launch team, including personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems participate in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
Members of the Artemis II launch team, including personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems participate in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director, Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
Members of the Artemis II launch team, including personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems participate in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
Joseph Pavicic, operations project engineer, Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Shuttle Crew Escape System Manager KC Chhipwadia demonstrates the launch and entry suit used by shuttle crews during their missions. He explains that entry into the suit is from the back. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, components of the astronauts' launch and entry suit are on display for the media. Shuttle Crew Escape System Manager KC Chhipwadia described the individual pieces and their importance to the safety of the shuttle crews during their missions. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Shuttle Crew Escape System Manager KC Chhipwadia demonstrates the launch and entry suit used by shuttle crews during their missions. He explains that entry into the suit is from the back. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller
Commercial Crew astronauts test out the Boeing/United Launch Alliance (ULA) emergency egress system on June 19, 2018, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 41 in Florida. The emergency egress system provides an escape route in the unlikely event of an emergency prior to liftoff on launch day. It will be in place when Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, launched aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket, carries astronauts to the International Space Station.
Chris Ferguson, Boeing’s Director of Crew and Mission Operations for their Commercial Crew Program, is helped into his suit in preparation for a Boeing/United Launch Alliance emergency egress system demonstration on June 19, 2018. A veteran of three space shuttle missions, he commanded Atlantis in STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program. The demonstration was held at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The emergency egress system provides an escape route in the unlikely event of an emergency on the launch pad on launch day.
Two mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs, sit ready to receive astronauts and ground crews during a Boeing/United Launch Alliance emergency egress system demonstration at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 41 in Florida on June 19, 2018. The emergency egress system will provide an escape route in the unlikely event of an emergency on the launch pad on launch day.
S88-42409 (20 July 1988) --- STS-26 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, Mission Specialist (MS) George D. Nelson participates in crew escape system (CES) testing in JSC Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29. Nelson, wearing the newly designed (navy blue) launch and entry suit (LES), floats in WETF pool with the aid of an underarm flotation device (modern version of Mas West floats). He awaits the assistance of SCUBA-equipped divers during a simulation of escape and rescue operations utilizing a new CES pole for emergency exit from the Space Shuttle.
NASA and SpaceX conducted a formal verification of the company’s emergency escape system on Sept. 18, 2019, at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, in front, and Bob Behnken participated in the exercise to verify the crew can safely and quickly evacuate from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency before liftoff of SpaceX’s first crewed flight test, called Demo-2. During the escape verification, Walker and Behnken pass through the water deluge system on the 265-foot level of the crew access tower. As Boeing and SpaceX begin to make regular flights to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the agency will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars.
S94-41838 (Nov 1994) --- Wearing training versions of the orange partial pressure suit used for shuttle ascent and entry, five NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut assemble for an STS-63 training session. The six are in the Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory. They are, left to right, astronauts James D. Wetherbee, mission commander; Eileen M. Collins, pilot; Bernard A. Harris Jr., payload commander; and C. Michael Foale, Janice E. Voss, and cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov, all mission specialists.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –The Launch Abort System Facility, or LASF, formerly known as the Canister Rotation Facility, is being outfitted and prepared for use by NASA's Orion Program to process the Launch Abort System, a multi-story rocket that will be positioned atop an Orion capsule to provide an escape system for astronauts during countdown and launch into orbit. The structure, the industrial area of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, served the Space Shuttle Program by standing the payload canister up so it could be taken to the launch pad and its contents transferred into the shuttle's cargo bay. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –The Launch Abort System Facility, or LASF, formerly known as the Canister Rotation Facility, is being outfitted and prepared for use by NASA's Orion Program to process the Launch Abort System, a multi-story rocket that will be positioned atop an Orion capsule to provide an escape system for astronauts during countdown and launch into orbit. The structure, the industrial area of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, served the Space Shuttle Program by standing the payload canister up so it could be taken to the launch pad and its contents transferred into the shuttle's cargo bay. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance personnel run a water deluge test on the Crew Access Tower at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The test gathered data on how launch site and astronaut crews would exit in the event of an emergency from the white room at the end of the crew access arm to the emergency escape system on the pad. Boeing’s Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance personnel begin a water deluge test on the Crew Access Tower at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The test gathered data on how launch site and astronaut crews would exit in the event of an emergency from the white room at the end of the crew access arm to the emergency escape system on the pad. Boeing’s Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA and Boeing personnel experience conditions during a water deluge test on the Crew Access Tower at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The test gathered data on how launch site and astronaut crews would exit in the event of an emergency from the white room at the end of the crew access arm to the emergency escape system on the pad. Boeing’s Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Shuttle Crew Escape System Manager KC Chhipwadia (right) describes for the media the elements of the helmet that is part of the launch and entry suit (seen on the table) used by shuttle crews during their missions. The helmet provides oxygen when needed plus a communication system. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Shuttle Crew Escape System Manager KC Chhipwadia describes for the media the elements of the helmet that is part of the launch and entry suit (seen on the table) used by shuttle crews during their missions. The helmet provides oxygen when needed plus a communication system. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Shuttle Crew Escape System Manager KC Chhipwadia describes for the media the elements of the helmet that is part of the launch and entry suit (seen on the table) used by shuttle crews during their missions. He is holding onto the bar that latches to secure the closed visor. The helmet provides oxygen when needed plus a communication system. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller
It is predicted that by the year 2040, there will be no distinction between a commercial airliner and a commercial launch vehicle. Fourth Generation Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) will be so safe and reliable that no crew escape system will be necessary. Every year there will be in excess of 10,000 flights and the turn-around time between flights will be just hours. The onboard crew will be able to accomplish a launch without any assistance from the ground. Provided is an artist's concept of these fourth generation space vehicles.
An astronaut heads into a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, during a Boeing/United Launch Alliance emergency egress system demonstration at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 41 in Florida on June 19, 2018. NASA’s MRAPs offer a mobile bunker for astronauts and ground crews, should they need to escape from the launch pad quickly in an emergency.
Photos of orbiter fire rescue and crew escape training for extravehicular activity (EVA) crew systems support conducted in Bldg 9A Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT) and Fuel Fuselage Trainer (FFT) include views of CCT interior of middeck starboard fuselage showing middeck forward (MF) locker and COAS assembly filter, artiflex film and camcorder bag (26834); launch/entry suit (LES) helmet assembly, neckring and helmet hold-down assembly (26835-26836); middeck aft (MA) lockers (26837); area of middeck airlock and crew escape pole (26838); connectors of crew escape pole in the middeck (268390); three test subjects in LES in the flight deck (26840); emergency side hatch slide before inflated stowage (26841); area of below adjacent to floor panel MD23R (26842); a test subject in LES in the flight deck (26843); control board and also showing sign of "orbital maneuvering system (OMS) secure and OMS TK" (26844); test subject in the flight deck also showing chart of "ascent/abort summary" (26845).
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On the Fixed Service Structure on Launch Complex 39A, space shuttle astronauts being briefed on the slidewire emergency pad escape system are (left to right) prime crew Pilot Bob Crippen, backup crew member Richard Truly, prime crew Commander John Young and backup crew member Joe Engle. The slidewire system provides a quick escape from upper launch pad platforms in case of a serious emergency. The flight crews wore the spacesuits and other equipment to be worn during a mission, but sandbags were used to duplicate the weight of riders in the slidewire baskets during the training. The STS-1 mission, known as a shuttle systems test flight, will seek to demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew and verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle -- orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank. STS-1 will be launched from Pad A at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 no earlier than March 1981.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted several basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
NASA and SpaceX conducted a formal verification of the company’s emergency escape system on Sept. 18, 2019, at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. NASA astronauts Shannon Walker and Bob Behnken participated in the exercise to verify the crew can safely and quickly evacuate from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency before liftoff of SpaceX’s first crewed flight test, called Demo-2. At tower level on the pad, Behnken practiced loading into a slidewire basket and simulating an emergency escape to ground level. As Boeing and SpaceX begin to make regular flights to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the agency will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars.
NASA and SpaceX conducted a formal verification of the company’s emergency escape system on Sept. 18, 2019, at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. From left, NASA astronauts Shannon Walker and Bob Behnken participated in the exercise to verify the crew can safely and quickly evacuate from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency before liftoff of SpaceX’s first crewed flight test, called Demo-2. At tower level on the pad, Walker and Behnken practiced loading into slidewire baskets and simulating an emergency escape to ground level. As Boeing and SpaceX begin to make regular flights to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the agency will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars.
NASA and SpaceX conducted a formal verification of the company’s emergency escape system on Sept. 18, 2019, at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. NASA astronaut Bob Behnken participated in the exercise to verify the crew can safely and quickly evacuate from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency before liftoff of SpaceX’s first crewed flight test, called Demo-2. At tower level on the pad, Behnken practiced loading into a slidewire basket and simulating an emergency escape to ground level. As Boeing and SpaceX begin to make regular flights to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the agency will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars.
NASA and SpaceX conducted a formal verification of the company’s emergency escape system on Sept. 18, 2019, at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. From left, NASA astronauts Shannon Walker and Bob Behnken participated in the exercise to verify the crew can safely and quickly evacuate from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency before liftoff of SpaceX’s first crewed flight test, called Demo-2. At tower level on the pad, Walker and Behnken practiced loading into a slidewire basket and simulating an emergency escape to ground level. As Boeing and SpaceX begin to make regular flights to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the agency will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
S93-31980 (April 1993) --- Attired in a training version of the Shuttle launch and entry garment, astronaut Nancy J. Sherlock participates in a bailout training session at the Johnson Space Center's (JSC) systems integration facility. Training as a mission specialist for the STS-57 mission, Sherlock was rehearsing using the slide pole escape device. EDITOR'S NOTE: Nancy J. Currie (formerly Sherlock) has been assigned as a mission specialist for the STS-70 mission, scheduled for launch in spring of 1995.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
STS-38 Pilot Frank L. Culbertson, wearing launch and entry suit (LES) and launch and entry helmet (LEH), rolls through the side hatch of the crew compartment trainer (CCT) located in JSC's Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. Assisted by technicians, Culbertson practices emergency egress through the side hatch using the crew escape system (CES) pole which extends out the side hatch. The inflated safety cushion breaks Culbertson's fall as he rolls out of the side hatch.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida practice the Artemis mission emergency escape or egress procedures during a series of integrated system verification and validation tests at Launch Complex 39B on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Simulated flight crew members practice getting out of the emergency egress basket and into the emergency transport vehicle to drive them to safety in the event of an unlikely emergency during launch countdown.
Technicians adjust the rocket motor during the attachment of the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal wrote (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
Technicians attach the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal describe this as follows (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
Technicians adjust the rocket motor during the attachment of the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal wrote (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
Technicians adjust the rocket motor during the attachment of the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal wrote (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
Technicians attach the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal describe this as follows (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
Technicians adjust the rocket motor during the attachment of the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal wrote (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
Technicians attach the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal describe this as follows (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
Technicians adjust the rocket motor during the attachment of the escape tower to the Mercury capsule prior to assembly with Little Joe launcher, August 20, 1959. Joseph Shortal wrote (vol. 3., p. 33): The escape tower and rocket motors were taken from the Mercury capsule production. The tower is shown being attached to the capsule.... The escape rocket was a Grand Central 1-KS-52000 motor with three canted nozzles. The tower-jettison motor was an Atlantic Research Corp. 1.4-KS-785 motor. This was the same design tested in a beach abort test...and had the offset thrust line as used in the beach abort test to insure that the capsule would get away from the booster in an emergency. The escape system weighed 1,015 pounds, including 236 pounds of ballast for stability. The Little Joe booster was assembled at Wallops on its special launcher in a vertical attitude. It is shown in the on the left with the work platform in place. The launcher was located on a special concrete slab in Launching Area 1. The capsule was lowered onto the booster by crane.... After the assembly was completed, the scaffolding was disassembled and the launcher pitched over to its normal launch angle of 80 degrees.... Little Joe had a diameter of 80 inches and an overall length, including the capsule and escape tower of 48 feet. The total weight at launch was about 43,000 pounds. The overall span of the stabilizing fins was 21.3 feet. Although in comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, the fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a 6-month one with in house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley. -- Published in Joseph A. Shortal, History of Wallops Station: Origins and Activities Through 1949, (Wallops Island, VA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Station, nd), Comment Edition.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle prime and backup astronaut crews are preparing to be briefed on the use of the emergency pad escape system, known as the “slidewire”. From left to right are backup astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly, and primary crew Commander John Young. Both the prime and backup crews wore the spacesuits and other equipment they will wear during a mission. The slidewire system provides a quick and sure escape from the upper pad platforms in case of a serious emergency. The flight crews wore the spacesuits and other equipment to be worn during a mission, but sandbags were used to duplicate the weight of riders in the slidewire baskets during the training. The STS-1 mission, known as a shuttle systems test flight, will seek to demonstrate safe launch into orbit and safe return of the orbiter and crew and verify the combined performance of the entire shuttle vehicle -- orbiter, solid rocket boosters and external tank. STS-1 will be launched from Pad A at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 no earlier than March 1981.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.
Medical and fire-rescue personnel participate in the Artemis II mission emergency escape or egress verification and validation tests near Launch Complex 39 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. During the multi-day tests, members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program practiced the process of getting in and out of the emergency egress baskets then down to the launch pad where they would be transported to emergency transport vehicles and driven to safety. Prior to this test and throughout the course of several months, teams conducted basket release demonstrations to validate the system.