October 16, 2010 2:03 PM

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Chile mine mishap: The hero goes places

It is the silent hero of the miraculous rescue of Chile's 33 miners, but now Phoenix, the metal escape capsule that hoisted them from the depths is to go on world tour as a celebrity in its own right.The capsule was watched by hundreds of millions people worldwide as it rose like the mythical bird from the ashes ferrying the miners to safety one by one after 69 days trapped half a mile below ground.Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said in Santiago that the capsule, painted in the red, white and blue of Chile's national flag, is just wider than a man's shoulders and looks like a miniature space rocket.US space agency NASA advised the Government on its design. In a complex but flawless operation under Chile's far Atacama desert, the miners and 6 rescue workers were hauled out through 625 meters of rock in the capsule, which was equipped withcommunications equipment and oxygen tanks.A live video feed from deep in the mine showed the capsule arriving deep in the mine, capturing imaginations across the world.

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