• last year
On Sept. 26, 1983, a Russian Soyuz rocket exploded on the launchpad.

Two cosmonauts were inside the spacecraft, and they barely made it out alive. About 90 seconds before the rocket was supposed to launch, a fire erupted. Thankfully the emergency escape system ejected their space capsule from the top of the rocket just two seconds before the fire caused the explosion. So far this has been the only time that a launch escape system had to be used.
Transcript
00:00 On this day in space.
00:03 In 1983, a Russian Soyuz rocket exploded on the launch pad.
00:07 Two cosmonauts were inside the spacecraft and they barely made it out alive.
00:11 About 90 seconds before the rocket was supposed to launch, a fire erupted.
00:15 Thankfully, the emergency escape system ejected their space capsule from the top of the rocket
00:19 just two seconds before the fire caused the explosion.
00:22 So far, this has been the only time that a launch escape system had to be used.
00:26 And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:29 (Music)

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