Why so big?
“The
420-kilogram [925-pound] escape capsule, dubbed the Phoenix, will take between 20 minutes and an hour to make the trip to the surface… The steel craft, designed by the Chilean navy, has rubber wheels to negotiate bends in
the rescue shaft, as well as oxygen, wired communications equipment, an escape hatch, and food and water.”
The idea is to pick a “physically and psychologically strong” miner to be the first man up, in case there are any jams or problems along the way. (Hence the food and water in the capsule.) Each miner will wear a $450 pair of sunglasses to block out the glare of daylight after two months underground.
The rescue could start Wednesday, as engineers have decided that only the top part of the 622-meter shaft needs to be lined with pipe.
Amazing stuff.
From the Who2 blog:
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