An Escape Tower, the original version officially known as the Aerial Capsule Emergency Separation Device, is the visible part of the Launch Escape System

Launch escape system

A Launch Escape System is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of emergency. Since the escape rockets are above the crew module, an LES typically uses separate nozzles which are...

. It consists of a rocket and a frame attaching it to the top of the crew capsule. This was originally designed for the US Project Mercury

Project Mercury

In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...

 program rockets, in 1958 and has since been built into the Apollo program, Soyuz

Soyuz (rocket)

The Soyuz was a Soviet expendable carrier rocket designed by OKB-1 and manufactured by State Aviation Plant No. 1 in Samara, Russia. It was used to launch Soyuz spacecraft as part of the Soyuz programme, initially on unmanned test flights, followed by the first 19 manned launches of the...

 and many other manned rocket series.

History

The idea of using a rocket to remove the capsule from a space vehicle was developed by Maxime Faget

Maxime Faget

Maxime "Max" A. Faget was the designer of the Mercury capsule, and contributed to the later Gemini and Apollo spacecraft as well as the Space Shuttle.- Life :...

in 1958. The system, using the tower on the top of the space capsule to house rockets, was first used on a test of the Project Mercury capsule in March 1959.

External links

• info encyclopedia