NASA Space Shuttle Emergency On Launch Pad

NASA encounters an emergency with the space shuttle on the launch pad just milliseconds before the solid rocket boosters ignite. The computers onboard the space shuttle and the ground launch sequencer aborted the launch at the last possible moment before the boosters ignite.

Once the solid rocket boosters ignite, there is no possible way for the launch to be aborted while the space shuttle is on the launch pad and the space shuttle is forced to lift off.

A near catastrophe for NASA and the space shuttle was avoided.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• space
• nasa
• shuttle
• space shuttle
• emergency
• catastrophe
• accident
• disaster
• explosion
• video
• sts
• astronaut
• shuttle astronaut
• kennedy space center
• johnson space center
• launch pad
• abort
• launch abort
• launch
• orbiter
• mission
• flight

[michchap]

This took place on 18 August 1994. My parent's and I were watching from the Kennedy Space Center viewing area. This is mission STS-68, the seventh flight of Shuttle Endeavour and the sixty-fifth Shuttle mission. There was a Redundant Sequence Launch Sequencer (RSLS) abort at T-1.9 seconds after all main engines ignited. The abort was initiated by the General Purpose Computers (GPC) when the temperature on Main Engine #3 High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (HPOT) exceeded its red-line value.

[yourjudgeandjury]

@michchap Still an emergency. Had the boosters ignited they would have gone for a wild if not disasterous ride. I am rather envious you got to see a launch even if it was an abort.

[blackcr125]

@yourjudgeandjury I've grown up in Orlando my whole life, watching the launches from my backyard, the road, in person etc. I can tell you, there is NOTHING, absolutely nothing like seeing a night launch in person.

[dcb1138]

it sucks to have no pad abort system

[wsr2011]

missed it by TTTTHHHHIIIISSSSS MMUUUCCCHHHHH......lol

happy they caught it in time, that could have been very interesting.

1:46 that dude is like, "OH COME ON..."

3:16 the guys are all thinking, "There go our jobs....

[VirginianHighlander]

....The astronauts are thinking, get me out of here .....NOW!

[don312000]

0:42 when I saw the clock showing T+00:00:00 I nearly crapped myself watching it live!!

[RecklessTornado]

3,2,1, aaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddd­ddddd...