Why the final shuttle crew practiced driving an armored personnel carrier

Space · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, the crew of Atlantis underwent a peculiar training exercise: learning to drive a military vehicle. This wasn't for a space mission, but a high-stakes rehearsal for a worst-case scenario on the launch pad.

During the STS-135 voyage, an M113 armoured personnel carrier was operated by the quartet comprising Rex Walheim, Sandy Magnus, Doug Hurley, and Chris Ferguson on 21 June. This training was conducted at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). The objective was to master the emergency escape procedure required if a contingency occurs on the launch pad before liftoff. The M113 serves as a critical safety vehicle designed to transport astronauts to a secure location quickly in the event of a pad emergency. While the primary goal of the 12-day mission was to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station, NASA's safety protocols mandate preparation for even the most remote possibilities. Because STS-135 was the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program, the stakes of these rehearsals were heightened by the lack of backup infrastructure. The mission also carried significant technical weight, including a system to investigate robotic refueling for satellites and the return of a failed ammonia pump module to improve future designs. However, if Atlantis were to become stranded at the station or deemed unsafe for return, the emergency plan dictated that the crew remain on the station until rescued by a Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft. Since Discovery and Endeavour were already being decommissioned for museum display, no other shuttle remained on the ground to serve as a rescue vehicle, making these ground-based escape drills a vital final safety check.

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