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Article: Escape Plans
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- Space Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Escape Plans
Safety considerations in a piloted spacecraft must take into account the possibility of an emergency at any stage of the flight, starting with the pre-launch countdown and ending with the vessel's return to Earth. Following the Challenger disaster in 1986, the crew compartment was found in the Atlantic Ocean. It appeared that at least some crewmembers survived the initial explosion and were alive before the impact with the water. But the seven astronauts had no way to escape, and their cloth uniforms offered no protection or survival capabilities. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) proceeded to implement changes to the crew module and the astronauts' ...