NASA's Space Shuttle Killswitch

[Matt Molnar]

What would happen if the Shuttle malfunctioned during launch and, heaven forbid, strayed a bit too close to the densely populated eastern seaboard? A guy in Houston sitting behind a panel of four switches ominously labeled "FLIGHT TERMINATION" would blow it up, astronauts and all. :shock:
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Read more: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science ... 62479.html (http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4262479.html)

[markg]

Just hope the Air Force don't get a "rogue" officer in that seat, i.e. an Al-Qaeda sympathizer.

[nikon50bigma]

Wow. I wonder it ever a situation occured; if they'd tell they crew if they were going to flip the switch.

[moose135]

Remember the three rules of aviation:

1 - Don't fly at night
2 - Don't fly in weather
3 - Keep your hands off the red guarded switches

Actually, if I remember, when Challenger exploded, they had to manually destroy the SRBs.


Just hope the Air Force don't get a "rogue" officer in that seat, i.e. an Al-Qaeda sympathizer.
Well, for starters, I assume it's a NASA guy...but really, have we gotten to the point where everything has to have a sinister fear of "terrorism" attached?

[T-Bird76]

The fuel that's used for the Shuttle is extremely deadly if it comes into contact with the skin and the vapor if breathed in is deadly as well. In the event the Shuttle did go astray and ended up crashing in a large coastal city the amount of ppl killed would be huge. So yes I'd say they'd flip the switch if they had to.

[wunaladreamin]

Let's jut hope it never comes to that.

[stuart schechter]

I also doubt the guy sitting at that position has the key to enable the panel...Most like a mission commander has it