Craig Fink wrote:

Making an ascent/entry vehicle crash worthy, to protect the occupants.
Again, NASCAR comes to mind and they are way ahead of NASA in many
respects. The car is designed to come apart protecting the occupant,
reducing the loads all along the way, during the crash. Something that
could be incorporated in a future design.

Although unintended in it's design, this happened when the crew compartment
separated from the fuselage. 3 gees down to 1 gee. Designing it
structurally and aerodynamically to continue coming apart around the
occupants would keep the force loads down, just like a NASCAR car.

In a car accident, you want to protect the occupants by keeping the g forces to a minimum. In an orbital reentry
accident, the g forces on the occupants are a secondary issue, not to be ignored completely, but not the main issue. You
want the occupants to have breathable air and you don't want them to fry. Keeping the pressure vessel around the
occupants intact is a wise choice for a reentry vehicle.


Alain Fournier