Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!tness7!ninja!pollux!ti-csl!DMeyer@mips.csc.ti.com
From: DMeyer@mips.csc.ti.com (Dane Meyer)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: RE: Emergency Escape Pole
Message-ID: <48545@ti-csl.CSNET>
Date: 12 May 88 14:21:29 GMT
Sender: news@ti-csl.CSNET
Lines: 19
Posted: Thu May 12 09:21:29 1988
In-reply-to: <9268@reed.UUCP>

In article <9268@reed.UUCP> you write:
 > Which way does the pole extend from the shuttle hatch?  Back along the wing?
 > Slanting up? down?

I just happened to have received my latest issue of SKYDIVING magazine which
had a picture of a navy test jumper making a jump using the pole from some
military cargo aircraft (they made 66 jumps from it).  The pole is 10 feet
long, 2 inches in diameter, and is curved, extending down and back, to end up
under the shuttle wing thus ensuring a safe exit.  The usage of this device is
restricted to shuttle speeds under 200 knots and 20,000' altitude.  They admit
that there are few situations where this is a viable escape, but it would be
used in the situation where the alternative would be to ditch the shuttle in the
ocean, which they feel is too risky.

                                                                              
Dane Meyer  (Texas Instruments, Dallas)
                                                                 
ARPA/CSnet: dmeyer@csc.ti.com
UUCP:       {convex!smu im4u texsun pollux ihnp4!infoswx rice}!ti-csl!dmeyer