ewiles@netxdev.DHL.COM (Edwin Wiles) (02/01/90)
Recently seen in "Air&Space", February/March 1990 (reprinted w/o permission):
1981 March 19
Two hours after a successful countdown rehersal for space shuttle
Columbia, a Rockwell technician is killed and four others injured at
Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39-A. The five men had entered a
compartment near the shuttle's engines and immediately passed out from
hypoxia. Unbeknownst to the technicians, the compartment was being
purged with nitrogen -- a colorless, odorless gas -- to prevent the
accumulation of flammable gases around the engines. "We just don't
know why the men were in that area while a nitrogen purg was going on,"
said a Kennedy spokesman. An investigation concluded that lack of
communication among work crews led to the fatal accident.
I find this odd, because I kept a VERY good watch for news regarding the
space program, and I NEVER saw or heard anything about this until now.
Was there nothing reported in the regular news services?
"Who?... Me?... WHAT opinions?!?" | Edwin Wiles
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ewiles@iad-nxe.global-mis.DHL.COM | Vienna, VA 22182smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven M. Bellovin) (02/05/90)
In article <3467@netxcom.DHL.COM>, ewiles@netxdev.DHL.COM (Edwin Wiles) writes: } } Two hours after a successful countdown rehersal for space shuttle } Columbia, a Rockwell technician is killed and four others injured at } Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39-A. .... } } I find this odd, because I kept a VERY good watch for news regarding the } space program, and I NEVER saw or heard anything about this until now. } } Was there nothing reported in the regular news services? It definitely was reported; I'm quite certain I saw it in the papers at the time. And I was living in North Carolina at the time -- hardly the home of the world's most comprehensive news services.
rjn@hpfcso.HP.COM (Bob Niland) (02/05/90)
re: > 1981 March 19 > I find this odd, because I kept a VERY good watch for news regarding the > space program, and I NEVER saw or heard anything about this until now. It was covered at the time. The story was interesting to our entertainment- oriented press because the cause of death was at first slightly mysterious.
shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer (OFV)) (02/06/90)
In article <3467@netxcom.DHL.COM> ewiles@netxdev.DHL.COM (Edwin Wiles) writes:
:Recently seen in "Air&Space", February/March 1990 (reprinted w/o permission):
:1981 March 19
[account of nitrogen suffocation of technicians (1 dead, 4 injured)]
:I find this odd, because I kept a VERY good watch for news regarding the
:space program, and I NEVER saw or heard anything about this until now.
:Was there nothing reported in the regular news services?
I saw it on the evening news and read about it in the Los Angeles
Times.
It was also in Aviation Week and Flight International, but those aren't
_regular_ news services.
The regular news service stories were quite short and undetailed, but
AvLeak and Flight were quite informative.
--
Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov or ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASAizahi@portia.Stanford.EDU (Raul Izahi Lopez Hernandez) (02/07/90)
In article <3467@netxcom.DHL.COM> ewiles@netxdev.DHL.COM (Edwin Wiles) writes: >Recently seen in "Air&Space", February/March 1990 (reprinted w/o permission): > >1981 March 19 > > Two hours after a successful countdown rehersal for space shuttle some deleted. >I find this odd, because I kept a VERY good watch for news regarding the >space program, and I NEVER saw or heard anything about this until now. > >Was there nothing reported in the regular news services? I don't know about the regular news services but I just learned about it today at my Psychology 140, Sleep and Dreams, class, since a guest speaker Dr. Heller mentioned that our oxygen sensors are not very good. So what happened to the technicians was caused because there was no way for the body to detect a lack of oxygen in the air contents of the chamber. Not even the "hands to the throat" since there was "air" to breathe. Dr. Heller also mentioned that 2 people died. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Raul Izahi Lopez Hernandez izahi@portia.stanford.edu Graduate Student, EE Dept. "Nun, ich war und ich bin noch Student, Stanford University denn ein Student bleibt ewig Student!" -DG
phil@aimt.UU.NET (Phil Gustafson) (02/20/90)
In article <3467@netxcom.DHL.COM>, ewiles@netxdev.DHL.COM (Edwin Wiles) writes: > 1981 March 19 > ...[A] Rockwell technician is killed and four others injured at > Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39-A. The five men had entered a > compartment near the shuttle's engines and immediately passed out from > hypoxia. Unbeknownst to the technicians, the compartment was being > purged with nitrogen ... Yes, there was extensive news coverage of this event. It stands out in my memory because of an outrageous bit of coverage by one of the local newsfolk. She expressed the hope that NASA would use "something less poisonous" than nitrogen for future tank purges. Sigh. -- Phil Gustafson, Graphics/UN*X Consultant {uunet,ames!coherent}!aimt!phil phil@aimt.uu.net 1550 Martin Ave, San Jose, Ca 95126