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Launch escape system
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==History== [[File:Escape rocket of Mercury-Redstone 1.jpg|thumb|upright|The escape system unintentionally blasted off from the Mercury spacecraft on the failed [[Mercury-Redstone 1]] mission]] [[File:Escape tower - NMC.jpg|thumb|upright|The escape tower used by [[Shenzhou (spacecraft)|Shenzhou]]]] The idea of using a rocket to remove the capsule from a space vehicle was developed by [[Maxime Faget]] in 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://astronautix.com/craft/mertower.htm|title=astronautix Escape Tower|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108103328/http://astronautix.com/craft/mertower.htm|archive-date=2013-11-08}}</ref> The system, using the tower on the top of the space capsule to house rockets, was first used on a test of the Project Mercury capsule in March 1959. Historically, LES were used on American [[Project Mercury|Mercury]] and [[Apollo abort modes|Apollo]] spacecraft. Both designs used a [[solid-fuel rocket]] motor. The Mercury LES was built by the Grand Central Rocket Company in [[Redlands, California]] (which later became the [[Lockheed Propulsion Company]]). Apollo used [[Apollo (spacecraft)#Launch escape system (LES)|a design]] that had many similarities to the Mercury system. LES continue to be used on the Russian [[Soyuz (spacecraft)|Soyuz]] and Chinese [[Shenzhou spacecraft]]. The [[SpaceX]] [[SpaceX Dragon 2|Dragon 2]] uses a [[Hypergolic propellant|hypergolic]] [[Liquid-propellant rocket|liquid-fueled]] launch abort system integrated to the capsule and the [[Boeing Starliner]] uses abort thrusters in its service module.
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