FlyingHeifer
30th May 2001, 09:36
Just read article the other day in the LA Times (Los Angeles that is) about NASA making a "shuttle escape capsule" for astronauts . Statistically, NASA puts the odds of another shuttle disaster at 1 in 438. NASA officials reported "ther e is no in flight crew escape system for the orbiter other than for abort below 20,000 feet during a controlled glide."
The idea of this proposed "flyaway capsule" would be to install ejection seats in the cockpit for the pilots and put a pod in the cargo bay for everyone else to sit during the launch and landing. In the event of an emergency, the pilots would eject from the shuttle military style and the rest of the crew would escape inside a pod that blasts out of the cargo bay and parachutes to Earth. Interesting!
The idea of this proposed "flyaway capsule" would be to install ejection seats in the cockpit for the pilots and put a pod in the cargo bay for everyone else to sit during the launch and landing. In the event of an emergency, the pilots would eject from the shuttle military style and the rest of the crew would escape inside a pod that blasts out of the cargo bay and parachutes to Earth. Interesting!