Fénix capsules

The Fénix capsules were three metallic containers that were used for the rescue of 33 trapped miners after the 2010 Copiapó mining accident, and are an enhanced version of the Dahlbusch Bomb. The capsules were constructed by Astilleros y Maestranzas de la Armada Chilena (ASMAR), (Shipyards and Arsenals of the Chilean Navy), who named it Fénix (Phoenix), after the legendary bird which consumed itself in fire and returned to life from the ashes.

The Fénix capsules were designed by the Chilean Navy, in collaboration with the United States space agency NASA. They have a diameter of 54 centimetres (21 in), and have eight wheels located on the top and the bottom, with a damping system for mobility in the pipeline. The Fénix capsules have a harness to hold the occupant, an oxygen supply, and a microphone with speakers, which were used to connect the miners with the rescuers at the surface during the rescue.

Officially, three prototypes of the capsule were created. The Fénix 1 had a larger diameter than the other two capsules and was used in tests in the shaft created by the T-130 drill, where it descended to a depth of 610 metres (2,000 ft).Fénix 2 was operated with an Austrian pulley system and was used throughout the rescue of the miners. Fénix 3 was held in reserve and not used. The Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Navy, Admiral Edmundo González Robles said that ASMAR had also constructed a fourth capsule, that was not taken to Copiapó, and that the Fénix capsules were going to be patented.

Several major online news media organizations produced illustrations of the basic Fénix design.

After the rescue, possession of the Fenix 2 was the subject of a dispute between the Government of Chile, ASMAR and the Municipality of Copiapó. The Government announced a tour of the capsule all over the country, starting with its exhibition in the Plaza de la Constitución in Santiago, the capital of Chile.

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Wikipedia