Space travel is dangerous and tricky— That’s why they call it rocket science, baby. Therefore, it is best to have a plan in place for all eventualities, including giving the crew and astronauts a place to hide if something goes wrong with the thousands of tons of propellant above the ignition source. Enter the rubber room.
NASA has built two rubber chambers deep underground on two launch pads at the Launch Pad 39 complex on Merritt Island, Florida. Anyone interested in space exploration has seen the towering structure next to a rocket before launch. Launch pad 39a is Apollo 11 mission is launched. However, 12 meters below is a towering rocket and accompanying building. incredibly large vehicle NASA built a network of tunnels and bunkers beneath the launch pad to provide a place for workers to take shelter in the unlikely event of a Saturn V exploding on the ground.
Now, if a sudden explosion happens, no one will survive. A fully fueled Saturn V could release about 0.5 kilotons of power, which is 1/26th of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. space review—But given time to react, NASA had processes in place to quickly and efficiently evacuate people to safety.
And the road to safety began with a nine-story waterslide in total darkness.
Well, unless you’re an astronaut. Your escape then begins higher up in the sky via a high-speed elevator that can plummet the spaceship’s crew from the capsule to the mobile launch pad in just 30 seconds. space safety magazine. The slide extended from the mobile launch pad to the interior of the launch pad. The crew then shot down a very narrow, very steep, 60 meter long rubber tunnel and sprayed water all over it to ensure the crew could shoot down this crazy slide. . Faster.
Employees of the escaped spaces flew out onto rubber tables, which at times flooded with water and sent people flying into the back wall. After that fun experience, NASA personnel rushed through the blast door into the rubber room. The rubber room was so named because everything was covered with rubber. Everyone was strapped to one of his 20 chairs in the room, with the outside hatch sealed tightly behind them to prevent death from the sonic boom. Thanks to the spring-loaded floor, the domed rubber he room was able to withstand incredible forces, reducing the pressure of 75 G to a more durable 4 G.
It was assumed that the crew would be able to quickly escape from the underground bunker after a disaster struck, but food, water, and even a toilet were provided in the bunker just in case. NASA made sure to install an escape hatch at the top of the rubber chamber in case the two escape routes were blocked or destroyed.
Fortunately, the rubber chamber was never needed and the Saturn V did not explode on the launch pad. Launch pad 39a is now abandoned, as is the maze of tunnels beneath its massive structure. If NASA ever releases it to the public, I’ll be the first in line to shoot down the rubber waterslide of doom.