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[i]An alternate emergency egress system is referred to as the “Slide Wire.” The system consists of a winch-tensioned cable extending from above the 320-foot level of the ML to a 30-foot tail tower on the ground approximately 2200 feet (horizontal projection) from the launcher. A nine-man, tubular-frame cab is suspended from the cable by two brake-equipped trolleys. The unmanned weight of the cab is 1200 pounds and it traverses the distance to the “landing area” in 40 seconds. The cab is decelerated by the increasing drag of a chain attached to a picked-up arresting cable. The occupants of the cab then take refuge in a bunker constructed adjacent to the landing area. The cable has a minimum breaking strength of 53.2 tons and is varied in tension between 18,000 and 32,000 pounds by the winch located beyond the tail tower. The lateral force exerted by the tensioned cable on the ML is negligible relative to the mass of the launcher and the rigidity of the ML tower precludes any effect on tolerances or reliability of tower mechanisms.[/i]
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