Any launch of a space rocket is associated with some risks to people and technology, which is why it is necessary to take appropriate measures. Already in the sixties, NASA created a set of systems designed to ensure the safety of people at the launch site in the event of an emergency. Perhaps the most interesting element of this complex was the specially converted M113 armored personnel carriers.
Rescue means
Work on rescuing people at the launch site began early in the Mercury program. In the future, new means of rescue were created and improved, and during the Apollo program their final appearance was formed. With one or another change, all the fixed assets of this complex have survived to this day and remain in service.
One of the engineers' tasks was to evacuate astronauts and personnel from the service tower. Rescue from the upper tiers was supposed to be provided by a zipline system - special baskets, moving along a cable, lowered people to the ground and took them to a distance of almost 800 m. On the ground, people had to hide in a protected bunker, from where they could be picked up by suitable transport.
The problem of safe evacuation of people from the lower levels of the site was also urgent. Finally, fire brigades needed transport to protect them from fire and flying debris.
Both questions found a common answer. NASA has decided to purchase several serial M113 armored personnel carriers. After some refinement and re-equipment, such a technique could find a place on the launch pad and contribute to the safety of the participants in the launches.
Space armored personnel carrier
An order for new equipment appeared in the mid-sixties, and soon the Space Center. Kennedy received the four required armored vehicles. In terms of design, they did not differ from the serial army ones, but when they left the factory they had a different configuration. In addition, NASA specialists slightly modified the armored personnel carrier, taking into account the new role.
M113 for NASA from the very beginning did not have weapons and other equipment necessary for army equipment. As the operation continued, new units were installed on the equipment - or they were removed. Such modernization could affect all available armored personnel carriers or some of them. Despite all the improvements, the general characteristics remained the same and corresponded to the tasks set.
Almost immediately after commissioning, almost all M113s received additional protection against fire and heat. On the forehead of the body, a vertical shield was mounted, covered with a heat-resistant paste based on asbestos. Later, such devices were dismantled. The design of the commander's turrets, which provided observation of the terrain, was repeatedly changed.
For several decades of operation, the "space" M113 several times managed to change their color. They were originally dark in color with white markings, numbers, etc. - as a technique of the armed forces. In the seventies, the armored personnel carriers were repainted white. At the same time, numbers of cars, from "1" to "4", were applied on the front and side sheets with red paint. In recent decades, armored personnel carriers have had a yellow-green color and carried horizontal reflective stripes. The rooms remained red, but smaller.
Service features
The use of new armored vehicles was regulated by rules and instructions. In accordance with them, both rescuers and astronauts had to undergo driving training. They had to be able to drive an armored personnel carrier and handle its main systems. For several decades, M113 training trips have been a mandatory part of the training program for spacecraft crews.
Three armored personnel carriers participated in the launch support; the fourth was a backup. Two vehicles were assigned to the rescue team. Firefighters used fireproof suits and self-contained breathing apparatus. In direct preparation for the launch, two armored personnel carriers moved to positions 1, 5 km from the launch pad. A few minutes before launch, they were fully equipped, took seats in the troop compartment and closed the hatches.
In the event of an accident, the rescue team had to go to the launch pad, look for victims and evacuate them. This was given no more than 10 minutes - due to the limitations of the breathing apparatus of the personnel.
The third APC was located near the bunker door at a distance from the launch pad. It was fully operational and stood empty with an open stern ramp. In the event of an accident, it was this machine that was supposed to ensure the evacuation of astronauts from the danger zone.
In the event of an emergency and a decision was made to evacuate, the astronauts had to leave the ship and begin descent in baskets. Then they had to hide in a buried bunker. In the absence of interference, they could leave the shelter, take seats in the armored personnel carrier and leave the accident zone. Such an evacuation was carried out independently - one of the astronauts became the driver of the armored personnel carrier.
Over time, some of the features of the use of the M113 on launch complexes changed. Positions were transferred, methods were improved, etc. At the same time, the basic principles remained unchanged. One armored personnel carrier was supposed to ensure the evacuation of astronauts, the other two - the work of rescuers and the removal of the injured.
Decades of service
M113 entered service with NASA in the mid-sixties. The work of this technique began with the provision of launches under the Apollo program. In connection with the appearance of the armored personnel carrier, the astronaut training program was adjusted by adding courses on the management of such equipment. Of particular interest in this regard is the preparation of the latest missions within the framework of the lunar program. Astronauts had to learn how to control a spacecraft, a lunar rover, and a terrestrial armored personnel carrier - a curious and unique combination.
After the completion of the Apollo program, NASA began preparations for the operation of the Space Transportation System complex with the reusable Shuttle spacecraft. As part of this training, the launch complexes in general and the rescue systems in particular were modernized. At the same time, the M113 armored personnel carriers remained an important part of the security measures. As before, one of the armored vehicles was intended for use by astronauts, and the corresponding training remained in their training program.
During their service, M113s were present at 15 Apollo launches and 135 Space Shuttle launches. Preparations for these launches took place, in general, normally, and the launches themselves took place without accidents - the help of armored vehicles and its crews was not required. Nevertheless, two armored personnel carriers with rescuers, one empty car and one reserve were ready at any time to help astronauts in distress.
Modern replacement
The service of the four "space" armored personnel carriers lasted for almost half a century. In 2013, it was decided to decommission this equipment due to obsolescence and resource depletion. A modern replacement was found for the M113, and the machines themselves went into storage. One of them, which bore the number "1", soon became a monument.
For the transportation of rescuers and astronauts, four BAE Caiman MRAP wheeled armored vehicles are now used. They are similar in level of protection to the old M113, but are more simple to operate and maintain. A spacious troop compartment is noted, which is more convenient for rescuers with equipment or astronauts in spacesuits. In addition, the new machines have a full service life that will take decades to develop.
However, the full-fledged operation of "Caymans" with the solution of the assigned tasks has not yet begun. In 2011, even before such technology was received, NASA scrapped the STS program and stopped manned launches from its sites. As a result, the equipment for evacuation is still used only for training personnel. In the near future, NASA plans to resume its manned program, thanks to which the armored cars will finally begin normal operation.
Fortunately, in recent decades, NASA has been able to carry out manned launches without accidents during the preparation or launch phase. As a result, the M113 armored personnel carriers repeatedly participated in the organization of launches, but never began to perform the assigned tasks. What the service of Caiman armored cars will be is unknown. Conclusions of this kind can only be made after the launch of manned spacecraft resumes in the United States.
