What was America's worst rocket related accident ?- was Ed Givens

Ed Givens.

Perhaps there should be a adjacent memorial for those who died while
working on
the space program.

People like Givens, pad rats who died in work accidents etc. They
shouldnt be
forgotten......


Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

- Rusty Barton

(Rusty B) writes:
People like Givens, pad rats who died in work accidents etc. They
shouldnt be
forgotten......


Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

If you're not restricting it to spaceflight-related incidents, I'd
have to guess the USS Forestall fire from an accidental rocket
firing. I think that one killed over 100 sailors.

--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

(Rusty B) writes:
People like Givens, pad rats who died in work accidents etc. They
shouldnt be
forgotten......


Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

If you're not restricting it to spaceflight-related incidents, I'd
have to guess the USS Forestall fire from an accidental rocket
firing. I think that one killed over 100 sailors.

--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

In article , Rusty B wrote:
Ed Givens.

Perhaps there should be a adjacent memorial for those who died while
working on
the space program.

People like Givens, pad rats who died in work accidents etc. They
shouldnt be
forgotten......

Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

As part of the US space program?

Two technicians were killed in Columbia in March '81, although this
isn't really "rocket related". I have very hazy memories of a SRM test
which involved fatalities, and equally hazy ones involving someone dying
during VAB construction, but neither of these are sourceable.

--
-Andrew Gray

On 4 Dec 2003 18:04:18 GMT, Andrew Gray
wrote:


Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

As part of the US space program?

Two technicians were killed in Columbia in March '81, although this
isn't really "rocket related".

Yes, it is. John Bjornstad and Forest Cole died either in Columbia's
Aft Compartment or in one of the Tail Service Masts at the launch pad,
depending on the source.

I have very hazy memories of a SRM test
which involved fatalities, and equally hazy ones involving someone dying
during VAB construction, but neither of these are sourceable.

The VAB construction fatalities (and a victim of lightning at Pad 39B)
are documented in "Moonport".

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Hi...204/cover.html

Brian

In article , Brian Thorn wrote:
On 4 Dec 2003 18:04:18 GMT, Andrew Gray
wrote:


Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

As part of the US space program?

Two technicians were killed in Columbia in March '81, although this
isn't really "rocket related".

Yes, it is. John Bjornstad and Forest Cole died either in Columbia's
Aft Compartment or in one of the Tail Service Masts at the launch pad,
depending on the source.

Jenkins says Aft Compartment, IIRC. (He didn't give the names, it took
me ages to find the reference.) - the compartment had been filled with
N2. (Is this common practice - a fire-retardant?)

(I interpreted "rocket related" as "in a rocket accident" - accidental
firing, pad explosion, that sort of thing, which is why the qualifier)

I have very hazy memories of a SRM test
which involved fatalities, and equally hazy ones involving someone dying
during VAB construction, but neither of these are sourceable.

The VAB construction fatalities (and a victim of lightning at Pad 39B)
are documented in "Moonport".

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Hi...204/cover.html

Thankyou; I forgot that was on the web - I'd just been noting it was on
sale at Amazon, so I can only plead brainfart...

--
-Andrew Gray

Andrew Gray wrote:


(I interpreted "rocket related" as "in a rocket accident" - accidental
firing, pad explosion, that sort of thing, which is why the qualifier)

Has anyone mentioned the deaths of Sidney Dagle, Lott Gabel, and John
Fassett when the X-248 solid fuel motor for the OSO-B prematurely fired
due to static discharge while it was being mated to the spacecraft, in
April of 1964?

Pat

In article , Brian Thorn wrote:
On 4 Dec 2003 18:04:18 GMT, Andrew Gray
wrote:


Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

As part of the US space program?

Two technicians were killed in Columbia in March '81, although this
isn't really "rocket related".

Yes, it is. John Bjornstad and Forest Cole died either in Columbia's
Aft Compartment or in one of the Tail Service Masts at the launch pad,
depending on the source.

Jenkins says Aft Compartment, IIRC. (He didn't give the names, it took
me ages to find the reference.) - the compartment had been filled with
N2. (Is this common practice - a fire-retardant?)

(I interpreted "rocket related" as "in a rocket accident" - accidental
firing, pad explosion, that sort of thing, which is why the qualifier)

I have very hazy memories of a SRM test
which involved fatalities, and equally hazy ones involving someone dying
during VAB construction, but neither of these are sourceable.

The VAB construction fatalities (and a victim of lightning at Pad 39B)
are documented in "Moonport".

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Hi...204/cover.html

Thankyou; I forgot that was on the web - I'd just been noting it was on
sale at Amazon, so I can only plead brainfart...

--
-Andrew Gray

On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 19:13:59 -0600, Brian Thorn wrote (in
part):

On 4 Dec 2003 18:04:18 GMT, Andrew Gray
wrote:


Okay. What was America's worst rocket related accident with the
greatest loss of life?

As part of the US space program?

Two technicians were killed in Columbia in March '81, although this
isn't really "rocket related".

Yes, it is. John Bjornstad and Forest Cole died either in Columbia's
Aft Compartment or in one of the Tail Service Masts at the launch pad,
depending on the source.


Was that the nitrogen asphyxiation case?

Chris W

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 17:41:14 -0800, Christopher P. Winter
wrote:


Two technicians were killed in Columbia in March '81, although this
isn't really "rocket related".

Yes, it is. John Bjornstad and Forest Cole died either in Columbia's
Aft Compartment or in one of the Tail Service Masts at the launch pad,
depending on the source.


Was that the nitrogen asphyxiation case?

Yes. Most sources say the accident was in the Aft Compartment of
Columbia herself, but that seems unlikely due to space limitations
(there were five people involved... the two above died of their
injuries) so I tend to believe the other stories that it was actually
an accident in the Tail Service Mast.

Brian