Author Topic: Apollo launch escape system question  (Read 4232 times)

Offline mako88sb

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Apollo launch escape system question
« on: February 20, 2016, 03:07:46 PM »
Did a bit of searching and found some NASA pdf's that go into quite a bit of detail about the LES but there's no mention of what kind of G-forces the crew would be subjected to even in the test results. I found the Orion PA-1 test results that mention a max of 17 g's so I'm assuming something similar for Apollo but someone else mentioned that he heard 25-30 g's. I ended up looking at Col Stapp's deceleration tests that showed a max of 46 g's as the highest ever recorded. Wow! Anyway, just wondering if anybody knows the max G-force that an Apollo crew would of experienced if a pad abort was ever initiated?

Offline bknight

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Re: Apollo launch escape system question
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2016, 03:47:27 PM »
This report gives 17-20G loads, depending on when in the launch abort occurred.

http://klabs.org/history/apollo_experience_reports/tn-d6847_apollo_abort_planning.pdf
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Offline mako88sb

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Re: Apollo launch escape system question
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2016, 05:55:13 PM »
This report gives 17-20G loads, depending on when in the launch abort occurred.

http://klabs.org/history/apollo_experience_reports/tn-d6847_apollo_abort_planning.pdf

Thanks! Never thought to look under abort planning.

Offline Chew

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Re: Apollo launch escape system question
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2016, 08:08:04 PM »
Very interesting trivia about the LES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendulum_rocket_fallacy