This specialized zip line can rescue astronauts from Boeing’s spacecraft during an emergency

As Boeing and SpaceX develop spacecraft to take NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station, the two companies are also coming up with ways to keep crew members safe in case future launches of these vehicles don’t go according to plan. Both companies have designed built-in abort systems into their spacecraft, which can carry the vehicles up and away from a malfunctioning rocket. But now Boeing has another option in case emergencies aries at the launchpad: an astronaut zip line.

Called the Starliner Emergency Egress System, it includes four cables that can rapidly carry astronauts away from Boeing’s launch site. The spacecraft Boeing is building, known as the CST-100 Starliner, is designed to launch on top of the United...

Continue reading…