sts68 on pad abort

[stixbaraca]

You can see the "twang"!!!

[astronomicalguy]

Zackarydoo, I assure you that the Shuttle did not start moving upward before engine cutoff. The stack remained bolted to the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) at the base of each Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The only way that the stack can leave the pad is with SRB ignition, which didn't happen.

[Zackarydoo]

Bet they poohed their pants. The shuttle even started moving upwards before it cut-off.

[CubesForAKid]

@Zackarydoo The main engines give about a third of thrust required for liftoff.

[McChuugy]

did they exit the orbiter after the white room came over or did they stay in until the white room crew came to get them?

[brch2]

@McChuugy I'm sure they waited till the white room crew returned. They can get themselves out into the white room in an emergency, but it would be considered dangerous to do without the white room safety features properly set up (notice the gap between the shuttle and room without the door/seal in place). They'd only escape to the white room themselves in a life threatening emergency.

[Scottrchrdsn]

As Gomer Pyle used to say, "Well, surprise, surprise!!"

[johnschaser]

Imagine the rush you would feel after firing those 3 engines and then shutting them down to run another day. Probably the best 7 seconds in life!

[Dragonx0562]

@johnschaser

7 seconds of Burn, and 3 months of stripdown, and refurb. everyone in the VAB and OPF had to have been going >.<

[brch2]

@johnschaser I doubt it was 'the best 7 seconds' for the astronauts (besides the fact liftoff itself has to be more intense). These guys spend a week away from families to prepare for launch, and are stuck in the shuttle a couple of hours waiting to go. I'm sure any rush experienced turned to automatic disappointment when the launch was aborted, their mission postponed, and the realization set in they'd have to do all that prep over again a couple of months later.

[captainpiccard]

even when the launch is aborted, this is a wonderful machine... too bad it's going away for good...

[YoshiFan501]

That must of been a big disappointment

[Danielgresham1988]

Whew. That was close shave. Thanks to the boosters didn't blast.

[techislandonline]

@Danielgresham1988 indeed

[childsca]

I love the way he just kinda hangs at "3-2-1-and.... "

[HoradosVideos]

This was almost

[stdavross666]

Can anyone tell me what the three holes that blow out just after the engines start. at 0:26-0:27

[ereisch]

@stdavross666 Tyvek covers over the aft RCS thrusters to keep birds/critters/moisture out before launch.

[francopoli]

@stdavross666 Those are flares designed to ignite any spare hydrogen that escapes the engines. This way you do not have a cloud of highly flammable hydrogen on the pad.

[jordan8705]

I was there all day waiting for the launch... So disappointing, still haven't seen a launch.

[JoeCool504]

@jordan8705 - Oh man that must have been a heart-breaker! That was always my biggest fear about making the long trip down there... You must have been so bummed out :(

[scott00072]

What year was this?

[Cellmate412162]

@scott00072 The date was August 18, 1994.

[Cellmate412162]

I know a worse pad abort. Gemini 6 on December 12, 1965. The Titan 2 engines ignite at T-0 seconds and the shutdown occurred at 1.2 seconds after ignition. The risk was that the rocket would explode even when the rocket rose an inch off the launch pad. And the ejection seats actually had the risk of compressing the spine since they were designed to do a FAST ejection from an exploding rocket.

[4223037]

That must have been disappointing. How long does it take prepare the shuttle for another launch after an abort such as this?

[Tim733733]

@4223037 Up to a couple of months when the abort is this late. I believe they replaced all three engines at the pad before they tried to launch her again, successfully.

[mancity1000]

3,2,1 AND . . . we have main engine cut off! Huh?

[matske2102]

i always thought the heatshield of the shuttle couldn't resist water

[John19182004]

that obviously doesn't make any sense as Florida gets tons of rain and it sits out there for weeks before a launch. They cant FLY through rain because at their flight speeds, it'd destroy the tiles. Rain or the water you see here does nothing to them.

[Starwing1272]

@John19182004 I think there is a slight difference from the fire fighting systems on the launch pad compared to hitting rain at supersonic speeds. I mean hitting rain at Mach 1+ would be like (and I know this isn't a fair comparison) hitting a brick wall at 60 on roller skates

[beergut111]

@Starwing1272 you obvioulsy dont understand teh subject,.

[usnsquirrel]

@Starwing1272 The water hits the tiles and blankets, and they soak the water up pretty readily. It's not an issue of rain (or water of any kind) hitting the tiles forcefully, it's that the water can turn to steam on the ascent due to the friction. There's a podcast going up over at spacevidcast (dot) com about it in the not too distant future.

[usnsquirrel]

@matske2102 There's a thin waterproof coating on the tiles. water CAN get between them though.

[djfchj]

We will never find another earth and WILL keep destroying the EARTH.

sending this billion $ on space and than get get blasted in seconds.

[arielwollinger]

stupid!

[djfchj]

yes?!

What about u?

genious? LOL>

[ncadkins]

I know these guys train for months upon months for each individual mission, to cover every eventuality. But I'd like to hear from an astronaut that has gone through an RSLS abort, especially this one. From the aborts I've seen, this is the one that cut off closest to T-0. Is it a business-as-usual, day-at-the-office type of situation in the shuttle, or is everyone trying to pick their stomachs up out of their feet for a few seconds before lockdown?

[MrPat1978]

It is business-as-usual. Astronauts wraps A LOT of hours in simulation, simulating those RSLS or RTLS. Although out of the 7 astronauts, only the Commander, Pilot and Flight Engineer are really "busy" on a launch. The others are "passengers" until they get to orbit.

[nyker615]

Read Mike Mullane's book, "Riding Rockets" and he vividly describes the cockpit when STS-41D suffered an RSLS abort. His comments are extremely interesting to read.

[nathanmoeller]

Mike Coats had a great story about this one time. When Discovery aborted on the pad for her first launch attempt (STS-41D, June 1984), the astronauts sat still in the cabin for a few seconds before someone broke the ice and said "Gee, I thought we'd be a lot higher at MECO," which got a good chuckle out of everyone. So while I'm sure it's a big deal (certainly not business as usual), they were able to brush it off pretty easily.

[nathanmoeller]

However, another astronaut had this happen to him (I believe it was Reightler on STS-55) and he said he got very nervous when the CDR looked at him after the abort. He basically said "I didn't do it!" He said he was pretty embarrassed afterward because he felt like he let people down by "lurching instead of launching," but he dealt with it pretty well professionally when it happened.

[jerr0328]

I kinda remember this, I was 4 and this was like one of the first launches I was supposed to see. I remember a lot of smoke, and, nothing.

[michchap]

I was actually at the NASA Visitors Center viewing site with my parents on 18 August 1994 when this abort occurred. It was quite a surprise when the commentator counted down but no liftoff occurred.

[SparkyBill]

I was there too. I am in the video just left of the countdown clock as you look across the lagoon. I have a video tripod there. What was amazing was you could see the engine inginte then go out and the unrest. THEN the roar reaches us as the sound was delayed that long coming across the lagoon.

[SparkyBill]

I was there as well.  I am in the video just to the left of the countdown clock.

[iAstrophysics]

What a terribly absurd comment, djfchj.

[djfchj]

hell not, i am right.

i don't know, how many times we fail before launching one rocket.

we will all die here on earth.

at least go on mars.

[EndeavourLaunch]

Looks like someone's a crazy.

[SavannahR8]

That was cool thanks :)

[elkinsinbox]

whew. THAT WAS CLOSE!!!!!

[Neptuneaus]

Yep. If the boosters had ignited they'd be goin' for a ride either way.

[Chrisjr2007]

wow!