Posted on 11/12/2013 1:23:39 PM PST by BenLurkin
Reports coming out of Russia say that two people were killed at the Plesetsk space launch facility last week while doing routine work cleaning out a propellant tank. The Russian newspaper Ria Novosti said that on November 9, 2013, two workers were killed and three others were hospitalized after being exposed to poisonous nitrogen vapors while doing maintenance at the facility. Officials from the Russia Defense Ministry were quoted as saying the accident appeared to have been caused by failure to follow safety regulations.
The Plesetsk cosmodrome is located in the northwestern Arkhangelsk province. The facility has been undergoing refurbishing to take over a majority of the launches as Russia looks to reduce reliance on the Baikonur cosmodrome, which it leases from the former Soviet nation of Kazakhstan.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
Why would you put nitrogen in rocket fuel (or oxidizer) storage tanks? Is nitrogen, in gas or liquid form, considered a fuel or an oxidizer for rockets?
A lot of food products get a nitrogen gas flush during packaging / sealing.
They were bombed.
Shouldn’t drink on the job.
If you have an empty rocket fuel tank, you fill it with nitrogen. As you fill it with rocket fuel, the rocket fuel will not react with nitrogen as it is pushed out. It’s like a gas replacement like for like. If you were to just fill a rocket fuel tank with ambient atmosphere in the tank, it could go “Boom”. Nitrogen also prevents any rusting or oxydation of the base metals. Putting rocket fuel into something with iron oxide(rust) might not go so well either.
Ya think?
More likely nitrogen tetroxide, which is used as an oxidizer. Ignites on contact with the fuel unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine.
the fuels in some rockets are incredibly toxic. even at residual levels. they wear 2-layer suits to do maintenance work.
Russian military probing fatal accident at Plesetsk
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1311/13plesetsk/#.UoRT3OKRQSo
Two military officers died last week while cleaning out a propellant storage tank at northern Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome, the Russian Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.
Three servicemen were hospitalized after inhaling toxic nitrogen tetroxide vapors, and they are expected to survive, the defense ministry said in a statement.
According to information in the document, Myakshin, Barsukov and other officers entered a propellant tank on a rail car to rescue another soldier who lost consciousness after inhaling fumes of nitrogen tetroxide.
I told you it was nitrogen tetroxide that killed them, not nitrogen gas!!!!!
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