Title: NASA’s Rubber Room: A Secret Safe Haven for Astronauts in Case of Rocket Disaster
Space travel has always been a dangerous endeavor, often referred to as “rocket science” for good reason. In order to ensure the safety of crews and astronauts, NASA had to plan for all contingencies, including the worst-case scenario of a catastrophic explosion during a launch. That’s where the Rubber Room comes into play.
Deep below the two launch pads at Launch Pad 39 Complex on Merritt Island, Florida, NASA constructed two rubber rooms. These rooms were designed to provide a safe hiding place for personnel in the event of a disaster caused by the thousands of tons of propellant sitting on top of an ignition source.
These rubber rooms can be seen by anyone interested in space exploration, as they stand next to the towering rockets before every launch. Notably, Launch Pad 39a, where the historic Apollo 11 mission launched, housed one of these safety bunkers. NASA built a network of tunnels and bunkers beneath the launch pads, extending 12 meters deep, to serve as a refuge in the event of a ground explosion, a highly unlikely but potentially catastrophic event.
While surviving a sudden explosion wasn’t feasible, NASA had a pre-planned process to evacuate personnel quickly and efficiently if there was time to react. This process began with a nine-story waterslide that was completely pitch-black, creating an intense and adrenaline-pumping escape route.
However, for astronauts, their escape plan started even higher in the air. They would board a high-speed elevator capable of plummeting the crew down from the spacecraft’s capsule to the mobile launch pad within half a minute, according to Space Safety Magazine. From there, crew members would race down a very narrow, very steep, 60-meter-long rubber tunnel. To ensure maximum speed in their descent, the entire slide was sprayed with water.
The journey would conclude as the astronauts shot out of the rubber tunnel and onto a rubber table. Although this exhilarating ride occasionally sent people skittering into the back wall due to water overfilling the table, it served as a crucial step towards safety. After this experience, NASA employees would continue their escape by dashing through blast-proof doors and entering the Rubber Room, characterized by its rubber-coated surfaces.
In the Rubber Room, the escaping personnel would secure themselves in one of the 20 specially designed chairs, situated on a spring-loaded floor. This unique design allowed the domed room to withstand extraordinary amounts of force, significantly reducing the impact from 75 Gs of pressure to a more survivable 4 Gs. Rations, water, and even a toilet were provided to ensure the crew’s comfort and survival during their stay.
Furthermore, in case the primary evacuation routes were blocked or destroyed, NASA installed an additional escape hatch at the top of the Rubber Room. This comprehensive safety setup aimed to account for every possible scenario and ensure the crew’s ultimate survival.
Fortunately, the Rubber Room was never put to use, as no Saturn V rockets ever exploded while on the launch pad. Today, Launch Pad 39a and its labyrinthian tunnels lay abandoned, a testament to both the advancements in space travel safety and the effectiveness of NASA’s contingency plans.
One can only imagine the thrill of exploring the hidden passages and experiencing the heart-pounding escape route firsthand. If NASA ever decides to open up the Rubber Room to the public, many space enthusiasts and adventure-seekers will undoubtedly be eagerly waiting in line, ready to take on the rubber waterslide of doom.