Ares/Orion Spacecraft Rollercoaster Ride to Safety

Accoring to this NASA article, the new Ares 1 Rocket with Orion Crew Capsule Launchpad will be equipped with a rail-car similar to a rollercoaster for the astronaut's use in case of an emergency evacuation.

As NASA revamps Launch Complex 39B to host the new Orion spacecraft and Ares I rocket of the Constellation Program, engineers are preparing to install a new kind of departure system to evacuate astronauts.

The agency calls it the Orion Emergency Egress System, but it is fundamentally a group of multi-passenger cars on a set of rails reminiscent of a roller coaster. Its purpose is to move astronauts and ground crew quickly from the vehicle entry on the launch pad to a protective concrete bunker in case of an emergency.

The artist's conception in the article shows a rollercoaster-style rail that drops vertically from the top of the launch structure. It looks like quite a ride...

Here's the whole article, with illustration. Click the link in the article to the hi-res illustration. You can see the car and rail on the right of the gantry:

www.nasa.gov...

[edit on 10/5/2007 by Soylent Green Is People]