An escape tower is a safety system for launch vehicles that separates the crew capsule from the rocket in an emergency. The first system was developed for the Mercury spacecraft, and similar systems were adapted for later spacecraft. The rockets on the tower provide a large amount of thrust for a short time to quickly distance the capsule from potential danger. The only recorded use of an escape tower was on a Soyuz rocket, which saved two cosmonauts. NASA is developing a similar system called the Max Launch Abort System for their next generation of manned spacecraft, the Orion.
An escape tower is a safety system for orbital launch vehicles. It consists of a series of rockets atop a tower mounted on the crew capsule, usually found on the tip of traditional rocket configurations for space missions. Its purpose is to quickly separate only the crew capsule from the rest of the rocket in an emergency during launch procedures. It consists of small but powerful single-stage rockets that produce very large amounts of thrust for only a second or two that are intended to distance the crew capsule from potential explosions or fires that can occur during catastrophic failures in rocket launches.
The first such system was developed for the Mercury spacecraft of the American space program in the late 1950s by the designer of Mercury space capsules, Max Faget. He patented his project under the name of “Aerial Capsule Emergency Separation Device” and NASA, the organization responsible for the American space program, called it Mercury Escape Tower. Similar systems were later adapted to later series of spacecraft, such as the Apollo series, and by the Russians for their Soyuz spacecraft.
The Mercury Capsules, the first spacecraft to use an escape tower, were equipped with the device, which resembled an oil derrick topped with a cluster of small but very powerful rockets that were angled to fire such that the exhaust does not come into direct contact with the tower or pod. They are designed to rapidly carry the crew capsule up and sideways away from the rocket in order to avoid damage to the crew in the event of a dangerous event during launch, such as a catastrophic fire, explosion or launch failure . The escape tower was also fitted with parachutes to bring the crew capsule safely to land after deployment.
The rockets on an escape tower were very small, but very powerful, providing a tremendous amount of thrust for a very short time. The intent behind this design is to accelerate the escape pod very quickly to get it away from any potential danger in the shortest time possible. Providing a large amount of thrust, the capsule can be propelled up and away from the main launch vehicle in seconds.
The only recorded use of an escape tower was on a Soyuz rocket, which resulted in the salvation of two Soviet cosmonauts. Many years later, the cosmonauts were able to personally thank Max Faget for inventing the device that saved their lives. Today, NASA is developing a system with a similar purpose for their next generation of manned spacecraft, the Orion. It is named after the inventor of the original escape tower and is called the Max Launch Abort System (MLAS).
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