In the event of an emergency during the launch countdown, astronauts and pad personnel will use emergency escape baskets to evacuate the Artemis II launch pad. The baskets are suspended from a catenary system, similar to ski lift gondolas, and will transport personnel to the ground. Emergency transport vehicles will then take them away from the launch pad

Here’s how the escape would work:

1. Astronauts will exit the Orion spacecraft’s hatch and cross one level of the tower. 
2. They will climb into the baskets, which are designed to slide down cables. 
3. The baskets will transport the astronauts to the ground, about a quarter-mile west of the launch pad. 
4. Emergency transport vehicles will be waiting to take the astronauts away. Artemis 2 is a 2024 NASA mission that will send four astronauts around the moon on a lunar flyby

In the event of an emergency at the pad during the launch countdown, these baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, will take the astronauts and pad personnel safely from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad where emergency transport vehicles will drive them away

Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program began installing the four emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the event of an emergency at the pad during the launch countdown, these baskets, similar to gondolas on ski lifts, will take the astronauts and pad personnel safely from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad where emergency transport vehicles will drive them away

The Artemis 2 mission will launch from Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission is planned to be the first crewed launch from Launch Complex 39B since 2006

Emergency escape baskets are used to transport astronauts and pad personnel to the base of the launch pad during a launch countdown emergency. The baskets are similar to ski lift gondolas and are suspended from overhead wires. Each basket can carry up to three people

The baskets transport personnel to the ground, where emergency transport vehicles are waiting to take them away. The baskets are modified from the space shuttle program and are suspended from a catenary system

According to a TOI report, the crew escape system (CES) and the crew module (CM) separate from the rocket about a minute after launch. 

According to NASA, the Space Shuttle took about 8.5 minutes to get into Earth orbit. On November 16, 2022, the Artemis 1 spacecraft took 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach an altitude of 162 km (100.6 miles) above Earth

According to NASA, astronauts board the spacecraft about two and a half hoursbefore launch. Once they’re strapped in, they perform pre-flight checks and wait for the launch pad workers to finish their preparations

Before liftoff, astronauts undergo a variety of training and preparation:

• Training Astronauts undergo spacecraft systems training, wilderness training, underwater training, roller coaster–like flight training, and teamwork training. They also train on a flight simulator with flight-specific training software and train with flight controllers in the Mission Control Center. To prepare for the microgravity environment of space, astronauts participate in weightlessness simulations, including parabolic flights and training in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. 
• Preparation Around one day before launch, the launch vehicle begins its fueling process and final preparations. The spacecraft launch crews power up the spacecraft, load software, and send commands that put the spacecraft into its launch configuration. 

NASA performs a number of checks before launch, including:

• Vibration tests Spacecraft are tested on electric or hydraulic shaker tables to simulate the vibrations of a rocket. The tests can be up to 25% more severe than what’s expected at lift-off. 
• Static fire testing Rocket engines are mounted on a test stand and fired to ensure they can produce the required thrust and operate correctly. 
• Launch status check Also known as a “go/no go poll”, flight controllers are queried for the operation and readiness status of various systems before a launch can proceed. 
• Weather conditions Launches are postponed or scrubbed if there are unfavorable weather conditions, such as high winds, thunderstorms, or cloud cover. The pre-launch period covers everything from initial mission design to all stages of building and testing the rover, its spacecraft and its launch vehicle. It requires meticulous attention to detail and years of exertion to get everything right for a successful, on-time launch. 

NASA considers several factors when determining the launch date and time of a rocket, including:

• Weather conditions NASA meteorologists closely monitor the weather for any launch. For example, in 2019, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket launch was delayed due to high winds. 
• Orbital mechanics For interplanetary launches, the launch window is typically constrained to a few weeks by Earth’s location in its orbit around the sun. This allows the vehicle to use Earth’s orbital motion for its trajectory, while also arriving at its destination when the target planet is in position. 
• Launch window A launch window is the time period on a given day when a rocket must be launched to reach its intended target. 
• Mission priorities For example, when launching to Mars, the best time to go is when Mars and Earth are closest to each other, which happens about every two years. This requires the least amount of propellant and time to get there. Launch windows and days are usually calculated in UTC and then converted to the local time of where the rocket and spacecraft operators are located. For trips into largely arbitrary Earth orbits, no specific launch time is required

Launch windows are determined by the positions of the Earth and the target body relative to each other. The launch must take place within these windows to ensure the success of the mission

Launch windows can be as short as a second (referred to as an instantaneous window) or even the entire day. For operational reasons, the window almost always is limited to no more than a few hours. 

Launch windows are tricky because if a mission misses its window, it has to be deferred until another window opens, causing delays that can be extremely expensive. 

Some reasons why launch windows are so short include:

• Rendezvous in orbit Many missions must rendezvous in orbit and have limited capacity to adjust to the existing vehicles in orbit or to properly space they position in the orbit. 
• Alignment with an objective For example, if you’re launching to the international space station, you have to launch at the exact moment that aligns you with their orbit. 
• Margin of safety Especially for human rated flights, you’ve got to have a little extra fuel involved.

A launch escape system (LES) or launch abort system (LAS) is a crew-safety system connected to a space capsule. It is used in the event of a critical emergency to quickly separate the capsule from its launch vehicle in case of an emergency requiring the abort of the launch, such as an impending explosion. The LES is typically controlled by a combination of automatic rocket failure detection, and a manual activation for the crew commander’s use. The LES may be used while the launch vehicle is still on the launch pad, or during its ascent

Emergency escape baskets are used to transport astronauts and pad personnel away from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad during a pad abort emergency. The baskets are suspended from overhead wires, known as a catenary system, and are similar to ski lift gondolas. Once at the base of the pad, emergency transport vehicles will drive the astronauts and personnel away

In January 2024, NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program installed four emergency egress baskets at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The baskets are part of preparations for NASA’s Artemis II crewed mission

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