James Burke demonstrates Apollo "Saturn V" emergency precautions (BBC Television)

Watch Full Feature Show (Burke, Apollo and Moon Landing): http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B0B339DE69C47980&playnext=1

James Burke shows us some of the emergency precautions available to astronauts should a failure occur during launch. Particularly the "blast-safe room", almost exactly underneath the launchpad, which is accessed via an escape chute. The chute consists of a zig-zagging drop of about 200 ft. followed by a highly curved semi-circular 'slide' which leads straight into the blast-safe room's exterior and 6 inch thick steel door (total time from command module to the safe area is about 3 minutes).

Want to know more about the Saturn V rocket? Find out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• James
• Burke
• Apollo
• Program
• Correspondent
• BBC
• Emergency
• Blast-Safe
• Room
• Escape
• Chute
• Demonstration
• Demonstrate
• Precaution
• Launch
• Failure
• Precautions

[johnbell58]

It would have to be longer than 200 feet, i think he meant 400 feet, but it would have to be 600 feet or more, depending on its slope.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Hi, sorry about the approval thing. I'm removing them 1 by 1 as they come up. Only wanted it for the last video in the sequence...

As to your question, I too had thought the same. In fact in the original description I had it at "approximately 300 ft" since it's 363 feet tall. However, after listening I heard 200, so I "corrected" it. But I'm not sure because the height would include parts "above" the command module (the lunar module and it's container for example). Not sure...

- JBW

[JamesBurkeWeb]

See full video description for details about this video.

[Jwend392]

@un4g1v3n1 I think this might have been more for the pad crew than the astronauts...

[g1234538]

I once saw a Nasa video about how they do the escapes today. They have this zip-line down to the ground where an M113 APC is waiting, and they drive away. Though I would have gone for the 500-foot slide any day. Also those chairs look comfy.

[Rob260259]

@un4g1v3n1

You are too funny... please provide one (1) ounce of evidence for your ridiculous theory.

Aaahh... dang! I'm discussing it with a Twoofer...!

[Whovian36]

I think it would be very unusual for anyone to have had 3 and a half minutes warning time of a Saturn 5 rocket blowing up. Perhaps 30 sec to a minute if lucky, so they would have been toast while sliding down the chute! Thank goodness it never happened.........

[Aradian6]

I thought they escaped on a cable from the top of the launch tower, never seen this before...

[un4g1v3n1]

@670Kiester That's because they really don't want anyone thinking about, or discussing this. It's exactly how the Apollonots got down from their perch before the Saturn V was launched!

[670Kiester]

Very fascinating thank you.

Strangely I cannot find any more info on the web/ wikipedia about the Blast Safe Room/ Blast Escape Room or escape chute. Wikipedia is usually brimming with info and photos if the right technical term is searched for.