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  KSC Visiting To Be Limited On Launch Days ?

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Author Topic:   KSC Visiting To Be Limited On Launch Days ?
spaceuk
Member

Posts: 2113
From: Staffs, UK
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 12-05-2004 06:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Its being reported that the number of visitors to KSC Visitor Viewing Areas on launch days is to be severely limited - because of safety issues (explosions,falling debris, etc).

From what I understand it is to the prime viewing stands at the Press and VIP stands .

But it is to include other areas like the Causeway and some of the bleachers !

It looks like they want the majority of viewers to be at the 7-mile distance as a minimum.


Personally, think NASA and its advisors have got too 'safety conscience' on this issue.

If they are worried about 'ambulance chasers' then I suggest they still allow visitors onto Causeway and VIP stands etc (outside the 3.5 mile pad limit) BUT that each person wishing to do so,should sign a disclaimer that no action would be brought against NASA and its contractors for any injury suffered on NASA property in/around KSC on a launch day. [I'll leave it to legal buffs to draw up the correct wording].

Out of interest , when a shuttle is stacked with SRB's attached , do the KSC tour buses still go down to the 'beach area' visiting stand? This is only about 0.5 - 1 mile from pad at a guess? And,what about the crawlerway viewing platform. Do they still go there when SRB's stacked with Shuttle?
I know that many many years ago the tour buses used to overtake the shuttle/SRBs when being transported from VAB to pad via Crawlerway but I think was stopped after Challenger?

I know when ever I have been KSC the shuttle has had its SRB's stacked.

I'll have to check when the SRB igniters are are installed - since of course that's when SRBs are more vulnerable to be ignited prematurely.

I for one want NASA to keep allowing visitors for launches to go down to the Causeway and - if lucky enough - to the VIP stands. This applies for the EELV type launches out of CCAF pads as well.


Phill
UK


Rodina
Member

Posts: 836
From: Lafayette, CA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 12-05-2004 10:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rodina     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA is too safety concious, period. See, e.g., the never-going-to-happen robot fix of Hubble, rather than taking the way worth it 1:60 chance of losing a crew and orbiter.

BLACKARROW
unregistered
posted 12-05-2004 03:49 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Phill,
I don't know about American law, but under British law you can't sign away your right to sue by signing a disclaimer. Even if you sign a disclaimer, you can still sue if you are injured by the other party's negligence. I'd be surprised if the situation is different under US law, but perhaps someone familiar with U.S. law could comment.

Mike Isbell
Member

Posts: 551
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-06-2004 06:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike Isbell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The U.S. law is generally left to the individual states. While there a a Uniform Commercial Code and some Federal Laws with regard to interstate commerce, generally speaking there 50 different sets of civil law in the U.S., ie one for each of the 50 states.

spaceuk
Member

Posts: 2113
From: Staffs, UK
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 12-07-2004 06:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for all info - so far - on US Law regarding this item. Appreciated.

I looked up the 'arming' of the SRB's.

There is a lock pin on each SRB safe and arm device.

This pin is removed by ground crews at the pad during the pre-countdown preparations. That must be some 48 hours before launch?

However, the SRB's are still 'safe' at this point right up until T-4min 55 sec when the solid rocket motors are 'armed'. Even then there are safety elements at work to avoid premature ignition.

Its only when the SSME's have reached 90% thrust (and some other additional criteria at same time) will the final SRB ignition be initiated in the last few seconds before liftoff.

[Its slightly more complex than that but this brief suffices for now]


Phill
UK

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