Talk:Launch escape system

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Ineffectiveness of Launch escape systems (for Saturn V Apollo missions):

Although I could not find a online site with the same topic, my Dynamics teacher (Dr. C. Ray Wimberly http://www.uta.edu/ra/real/editprofile.php?pid=1194&onlyview=1 ) stated that the acceleration required for the crew to safely survive a catastrophic explosion would kill them anyway. Although the design team presented to problem to the higher ups, it was decided that the LES should be kept as a "public relations" measure to show the amount of safety precautions taken to help protect the astronauts. Has anybody heard anything similar or have any sources confirming or debunking this theory? 66.118.230.101 18:35, 11 June 2007 (UTC)Soapy5

The escape system is similar to the Soyuz system, which IRC has worked on a few occasions. There was a calculation done that said that under a worst-case scenario at lift-off, if the first-stage engine exploded it was possible for fragments to penetrate the capsule before it had a chance to reach a safe distance. However in other scenarios with only a little more warning it would have been likely to save the crews life.WolfKeeper 18:47, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

Your dynamics teacher almost certainly vastly underestimating the g tolerance of the human body, people have survived accelerations of over 45G - see John Stapp Catsmeat (talk) 14:50, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] ...and if it's not used?

At what stage in launch does the LES disengage from the spacecraft if it is not needed for escape? -- RealGrouchy 00:12, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

As early as possible, to avoid wasting energy by carrying the mass of it any higher than needed. Generally it's at the point where the atomspheric density, and aerodynamic forces on the rocket, have become negligible. Catsmeat (talk) 14:50, 27 February 2008 (UTC)