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A preview on News Hour showed a preview of the NOVA episode about the rescue. I didn't realize that the drill operation actually curved around the rest of the mine on the way down. The drill curved and cork-screwed all the way down. I'm even more impressed with the rescue now. It airs tonight.
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I watched last 20-25 minutes. First I had seen of any of it.
GO TEAM USA!!!
Now... shouldn't these mines be building these escape tunnels whilst they mine? Saving them weeks of agony?
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I watched it on the east coast tonight, the drills holes did curve, but the cork-screws that you probably saw were the series of existing mine tunnels that cork-screwed all the way down. The initial small rescue drills were trying to intersect with those tunnels where ever they could to search for signs of the miners, and the trapped miners did have access to about 1/2 mile of tunnel and were leaving markers pointing to where they were staying.
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No, in addition to curving on the way down, the hole had to make several turns to follow the pilot hole. Maybe corkscrew is an exaggeration, but still, to make bends in the hole on the way down is still impressive.
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Just got done watching it. Absolutely amazing story.
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Interesting show! Having no knowledge of these things, I don't understand how they can stand on the surface and know exactly where underfoot the mine shafts are. And then, how do they bend and curve the drills that made the 6" holes that the Team B followed?
The show also said that the miners were able to watch a projection of a soccer game. Since all they had were a couple of 6" holes to deliver supplies, how did that projector get down there?
Interesting too that NASA played such a big role in the health of the miners. Who would have thought that what we learned in space would be so helpful so far below ground!