A small challenge: do you have any idea what this key was used for?
If you need help: here is a little hint
And the answer can be found here
* I am not 100% sure about the facts in the article, but we can discuss about that in the comments …
** Thanks to Nicholas Lennox for the link to this nice article
The keyholes on the first image of the dashboard are not round, and the key on the images obviously is round….
Still it’s an interesting story 🙂
Interesting story!
I’m not sure, though, that the first dashboard picture shows fully-exposed keyways. I may be entirely wrong, but the black/yellow markings look to be plastic indicators to help show the switch position. (There’s a slight shadow beside the left-most “arrow” which suggests that it’s slightly raised from the surface?)
So here we have ‘literally’ a Sputnik key? 😉
According to Adam Savage (Yes, the guy from Mythbusters) it is a nuclear missile launch key:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/adam_savage_s_obsessions.html
2:39 into his presentation at TED
“You can see how the metal around keyhole has moltened and blackened – they had to have very high voltages there – but what else would you expect during those glorious times they didn’t save on energy.”
Not sure I buy this particular part of the article. I find it hard to believe there was high voltage in close proximity to a large, metal key which had to be turned by a highly trained (and non-disposable) human.
Jean-Claude says:
It’s a Soyuz launch key.
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/geog/gessler/collections/locks-keys.htm
There is one for sale at: http://www.thespace-station.com/Hardware2.html
tballard, CRT monitors have 25kV high voltage inside and they gather black gunk all over the nearby wall and there is ~40 cm (a little over a foot) between the monitor and the wall.
So the key can easily switch high voltage behind it, it just has proper insulation between the switch and the locking part.
Jaakko, I certainly could be wrong, but I think it is rare for both high voltage and amperage to be mechanically switched by something directly. Arcing, contact-welding, and shock hazards are usually mitigated by having a low voltage switch control a secondary system. But, then again, the USSR did had a knack for throwing caution to the wind and doing things on a scale outsiders considered insane.
The key for sale at thespace-station.com has been sold, but there are more available here: http://www.ussr-airspace.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=launch+key
They are souvenir keys but still a nice item and all are claimed to have been to the ISS.
The question I have is, where is the launch key used? After examining all available photos of a Soyuz cockpit it can’t find the control panels listed in the English-Russia article. I have to assume it’s in a control room, not the Soyuz module which would make more sense I guess.
Ah, and the answer:
http://suzymchale.com/kosmonavtka/soylaunch.html
T ̢蠉۪5:00 РLaunch key inserted in launch bunker
It looks like Adam may have been misinformed or not on his talk at TED.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/adam_savage_s_obsessions.html
Watch the whole thing, but the Launch Key is at 2:35.
the key in pitcher is a launch key from ussr or russia. saw on pawn stars. guy was selling two in box. very intresting.im a locksmith who loves his work……….