After 69 days trapped in darkness, the Chilean miners had Clinton Cragg to thank for their reunion with the light. A NASA engineer, Cragg was one of four experts dispatched to the Chilean desert to assist with rescue efforts. Ultimately, he designed the “Pheonix,” a capsule just 21.5 inches in diameter that would make the 2,050-ft. journey down into the mine to collect the stranded men. At 14 feet tall and weighing in at nearly 1,000 pounds, Cragg’s creation made 20-minute trips in and out of the earth to collect the miners one by one, reuniting all 33 with the outside world.
More on TIME: How The Chilean Miners Survived The First 17 Days
