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From: polish@garfield.columbia.edu (Nathaniel Polish)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: An Everyday Lesson
Message-ID: <1410@garfield.columbia.edu>
Date: Mon, 3-Mar-86 10:49:53 EST
Article-I.D.: garfield.1410
Posted: Mon Mar  3 10:49:53 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Mar-86 04:24:29 EST
References: <260@pyuxh.UUCP> <304@omen.UUCP>
Reply-To: polish@garfield.UUCP (Nathaniel Polish)
Organization: Columbia University CS Department
Lines: 13

As to danger to spectators at KSC:

I've been to 7 or 8 launches at the Cape as press since Apollo 17.
The press site is adjacent to the launch control facility and the
VAB.  All are about 3.5 miles from either pad.  There are swamps 
(and bugs, snake and 'gators) all over.  When they built the place
NASA put the VAB in that location because they felt that it was safe.
I for one would find it hard to believe that any explosion (non nuke)
could do more that knock you down at that range.  I do recall at the
first launch many of us were quite concerned that an SRB could take off
and travel the 3 miles to us and blow up.  This is a danger with SRBs.
And this is just what the range safty system is for.  Watching launches
is very safe.