Before he entered, Dunn turned to his friend standing by his side, Mike Sheehan. If the rocket starts to blow, pull me out, he earnestly told his friend. To reach the pressurization port leading into the LOX tank, Dunn had to crawl all the way into the interstage. Darkness enveloped him as he moved deeper inside, along the wall. Only Sheehan’s hands, holding on to his ankles, tethered Dunn to any semblance of safety. As he went, sharp components lining the exterior structure scraped his back. And all the while, the tank continued to pop and ping ominously.
