The astronaut rescue system if the rocket explodes

NASA uses the system to destroy the LAS launcher to save the astronaut if the Orion ship missile explodes.

The giant rocket of the US Aeronautics Agency (NASA) is higher than the Statue of Liberty, expected to be launched into orbit in early December 2019, according to the International Business Times. The final task of the SLS is to bring 4 astronauts to Mars and beyond.

Simulation of the Orion LAS system test in April 2019. (Video: NASA).

Although the manned flight does not take place before 2023, NASA is seeking to build a Destroyer System (Launch Abort System - LAS) that aims to save astronauts and bring them to safety in case of necessity. .

LAS is a safe mechanism that helps take Orion's crew module out of the launcher. The LAS consists of two main parts, the first being an assembly or a cover that protects the module from heat and wind. The other part is the launch destroyer tower (launch abort tower) containing 3 engines. In an emergency, the combustion engine is like a small rocket that pushes the crew module out of the launch missile, then navigates and takes astronauts to safety.

The launcher system uses a combination of 3 engines to bring astronauts to safety.(Photo: NASA).

The function of the LAS system is expected to be tested in the test in April 2019. The company-made missile will bring Orion test ship weighing 10 tons with full LAS function to a height of 9.7 km at 1,600 km / h. After reaching the required height, the destroyer engine started to operate, pushing the test ship away from the launch missile.

"This is the only time we tested the launcher system fully. Verifying that it works as intended in an emergency is an important step, before we take the astronaut to the ship. " , Don Reed, an expert working at Nasa's Johnson Space Center, said.