Escape cable car
An escape cable car is a special form of cable car that can enable people to leave a high structure quickly in the event of danger. For practical reasons, escape ropeways are only used on rocket launch sites in order to offer maintenance personnel (or astronauts) a quick retreat in the event of danger.
An escape cable car consists of a rope that runs from the supply tower to a protective bunker. One or more small cabins are housed on top of the supply tower. In the event of danger, these can be quickly manned by the start team or the astronauts. After releasing a lock, the earth's gravity causes it to roll down to the protective bunker .
Such an escape cable car has been implemented at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Emergency Egress System. NASA, November 23, 2007, accessed September 10, 2012 .
- ↑ Todd Halvorson: NASA Conducts Shuttle Astronaut Rescue Drill. space.com, December 3, 2004, accessed September 10, 2012 .
- ↑ Greg Lohning: All Aboard! (No longer available online.) NASA June 28, 2000, archived from the original on February 4, 2009 ; accessed on September 10, 2012 .