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 (ASMAR), (''Shipyards and Arsenals of the Navy''), who named it ''Fénix'' ( Phoenix).

Description

The ''Fénix'' capsules were designed by the

Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Origins and the Wa ...

, in collaboration with the United States space agency

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...

. They have a diameter of , 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

Schramm Inc. Schramm, Inc. is a privately held manufacturer of mobile, top-head hydraulic drilling rigs and related equipment for the global mining, energy, and water well industries. In October 2019, it was acquired by GenNx360 Capital Partners. It is headqu ...

T-130 drill, where it descended to a depth of . ''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 Copiapó () is a city and commune in northern Chile, located about 65 kilometers east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region. Copiapó lies about 800 km nor ...

, and that the ''Fénix'' capsules were going to be

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling disclo ...

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

Capsule after the rescue

After the rescue, possession of the ''Fenix 2'' was the subject of a dispute between the

Government of Chile Chile's government is a representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Chile is both head of state and head of government, and of a formal multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the president and by their cabinet. Le ...

, ASMAR and the Municipality of

. The Government announced a tour of the capsule all over the country, starting with its exhibition in the Plaza de la Constitución in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, who ...

, the capital of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

. ''Fénix 1'' was exhibited at

Expo Shanghai 2010 Expo 2010, officially the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October 2010. It was a major World Expo registered by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), in the tr ...

. One of the capsules was displayed at the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with ...

in Washington, D.C. for a special exhibition titled "Against All Odds: Rescue at the Chilean Mine", which began on August 5, 2011. Auction experts estimate that the ''Fénix 2'' could be worth up to US$1 million. The senior valuer for auctioneers Dominic Winter in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

said "The capsule is a 21st-century icon and symbolizes many things including the triumph of hope and the human spirit over adversity, teamwork and technology over nature and the myriad of uplifting stories of the 33 miners and their families. The capsule will be recognized by the whole world for decades to come and would be a major tourist attraction for any science or popular culture museum, which is its most logical home." The ''Fénix 2'' capsule went on display at the Atacama Regional Museum in

from August 3, 2011. On February 11, 2012 the capsule was put on display at the

Science Museum, London The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019. Like other publicly funde ...

, to be displayed until May 13. A replica of the Fénix 2 was given to the city of Canberra by the government of Chile in 2011 and erected opposite the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...

's student offices. File:Mina San José - Patricio Sepúlveda - Gobierno de Chile.jpg, alt=Color image of the fifth rescuer, Patricio Sepúlveda, is in the rescue capsule and is being lowered into the

San José Mine The San José Mine ( es, Mina San José) is a small copper-gold mine located near Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile. The mine became known internationally for its collapse in 2010, which trapped 33 miners underground. Its workings are reached by a ...

, during '., The fifth rescuer, Patricio Sepúlveda, is in the rescue capsule and is being lowered into the

, during '. Image:Fénix-2 y La Moneda.jpg, ''Fénix-2'' capsule on display in front of La Moneda presidential palace in

Image:Fénix-2 en exhibición en Santiago.jpg, alt=color image of the Phoenix 2 capsule held upright by scaffolds in a central square on display in Santiago, Chile, ''Fénix-2'' capsule on display in

in October 2010 File:Fenix 2 replica in Canberra March 2013.jpg, Replica of the Fénix 2 capsule in Canberra

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fenix Capsules 2010 introductions 2010 Copiapó mining accident Chilean Navy Chilean inventions Mining rescues

Description

Capsule after the rescue

See also

References

External links