31–40 of 52 posts
Very cool! And, if you like this, you'd probably also enjoy learning about the Plutonium Pit storage areas at the Pantex plant: http://cryptome.org/pantex-nukes.htm http://www.texasradiation.org/pantex.html http://www.princeton.edu/~ota/disk1/1993/9320/932010.PDF
Earlier quoted context omitted.
From the article: "I quickly noticed how the room got it name as the walls and floor are completely covered in rubber over a soft cushion that was meant to absorb the blast." The seats in the room also have seat belts. Looks like the room's designers expected a violent experience.
So I am not being facetious when I say I don't understand I I guess your comment makes sense, but honestly... I still don't understand. The rocket explodes, a massive shockwave of expanding gas gets pushed down the chute into the middle room. The actual protected room has a vault-like door, is on springs, has massive padded chairs with seatbelts. That I get. But how does rubberizing the middle room help? How much of…
The room was supported by springs according the article. It also said the blasts rivaled small nuclear explosions. If something that big goes boom right over you, those springs are going to be tested. I assume the rubber helps prevent the room from bottoming out should the springs be insufficient. If anything, I think they didn't know what to expect, so they planned for the worst.
Also, that small, 24-hr safe room was lacking in 24 hours worth of amenities, like a bathroom and water supply. But I guess being thirsty or having to urinate is better than exploding.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're surprised that people write buggy software without discipline?
I'm gently surprised that people write buggy software without discipline when they're dealing with something that can kill many people.
My impression is that you end up with bad code in critical systems due to the exact same forces as anywhere else.
Difference is, rather than ramping up the quality of the development / testing with the seriousness of the application, people tend to ramp up the requirement hair-splitting, ass-covering and accountability obfuscating.
Fighting this requires a rare, uncompromising attitude that often isn't conducive to remaining employed.
30 seconds down a chute seems like well, not a realistic survival scenario in the case of catastrophic explosion on the pad.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
From the article: "I quickly noticed how the room got it name as the walls and floor are completely covered in rubber over a soft cushion that was meant to absorb the blast." The seats in the room also have seat belts. Looks like the room's designers expected a violent experience.
So I am not being facetious when I say I don't understand I I guess your comment makes sense, but honestly... I still don't understand. The rocket explodes, a massive shockwave of expanding gas gets pushed down the chute into the middle room. The actual protected room has a vault-like door, is on springs, has massive padded chairs with seatbelts. That I get. But how does rubberizing the middle room help? How much of…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're surprised that people write buggy software without discipline?
I'm gently surprised that people write buggy software without discipline when they're dealing with something that can kill many people.
I wonder how much of this was designed not so much to ensure the safety of the astronauts and ground crew but rather to ease the mind of the people who had to make the decision to put them at risk that they at least tried to do something? 30 seconds down a chute seems like well, not a realistic survival scenario in the case of catastrophic explosion on the pad.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm gently surprised that people write buggy software without discipline when they're dealing with something that can kill many people.
This reminds me that I should start asking Therac-25 questions in interviews.
I wonder how much of this was designed not so much to ensure the safety of the astronauts and ground crew but rather to ease the mind of the people who had to make the decision to put them at risk that they at least tried to do something? 30 seconds down a chute seems like well, not a realistic survival scenario in the case of catastrophic explosion on the pad.
Rockets are a lot like skyscrapers: they burn slowly and sedately for several minutes until the structural members overheat and collapse. (Assuming kerosene fuel like the Apollo rockets used.)
I think this is the end part of the "Emergency Egress System" which included a slide-wire basket from the top of the vehicle support structure/gantry. Some of the images at http://history.nasa.gov/ap10fj/as10-image-library.htm do look a lot like the arched solid concrete room entrances, and there are a few of the wire system as well. I recall (on HN I think) a while back there was an article about the slide part of t…
No, not exactly. The author points that out in the piece. The zip-line is a later addition that takes you some distance away from the launch pad. The "rubber room" and blast room are, literally, directly underneath the rocket.
This is mentioned in the piece as the zip-line is the safer option when you're at the top of the tower and the base of the rocket is on fire.