2007-02-06 01:09:03 · 10 answers · asked by Kreep 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes, in case it gets hijacked by terrorist alien life forms who want to crash-land it on the White House.
But it's top secret, need-to-know only.
2007-02-06 01:11:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Mark A got it right. The person in charge is the Range Safety Officer. I don't know if the astronauts know who it is or not, but I suspect that they do.
The RSO's job is to prevent the launch vehicle from straying over land. The shuttle itself does not have destruct explosives (that would be too dangerous for the astronauts, even on a normal launch!), but the solid rocket boosters do have such a device. It is radio controlled from the ground, not automatic in any sense of the word.
In the event of a deviation off course the solid boosters must be dropped (after they burn out) and destroyed (they could be released during the firing sequence, but the resulting shock waves would likely destroy the remainder of the launch vehicle).
If at that point the astronauts can effect a return to the launch site or another abort site they would do so. If they are incapacitated but the shuttle main engines still work the shuttle can be flown from it's onboard computer. If it is the space shuttle main engines that are at fault the solid boosters can be used to guide the vehicle to a point where it can glide back to the launch site (there is a runway at KSC for it to land) and the boosters can either be destroyed or allowed to land normally. In the event of a pad explosion I don't think it matters too much, but the boosters may be destroyed by the RSO, depending on the circumstances.
2007-02-06 01:38:25 · answer #2 · answered by David A 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Never heard of a self destruct button on the space shuttle. So my answer is no.
2007-02-06 02:14:14 · answer #3 · answered by ccolston2005 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no self destruct button on the shuttle itself or in the control center.
2007-02-06 01:16:27 · answer #4 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not the shuttle itself but there is a man that watches the launch, he never knows the astronauts and they never know him so that there are no personal feelings involved, if there is any kind of problem, like the shuttle goes off course or starts to fall back to the ground he presses a button and it explodes, that way there is no huge explosion or wreck killing lots of people on the ground, so far hes never been needed.
2007-02-06 01:14:29 · answer #5 · answered by mark a 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
that would be kind of silly don't you think?... I know that most sci fi shows have ships that are equipped with them...but honestly, look at the reasons they have them..they CAN be hijacked in space..as of yet nobody can hijack a shuttle..and even if some alien came here, why would they? our technology would be obviously inferior to theirs
2007-02-06 01:15:04 · answer #6 · answered by kerfitz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it doesn't. Unmanned rockets that are used to boost unanned satellites into orbit often have self-destruct systems for safety reasons (if it malfunctions, you don't want one crashing into a populated area!). Manned vehicles don't carry self'destructs, however.
2007-02-06 03:52:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they have a failsafe device but no self destruct sequence
2007-02-06 14:20:45 · answer #8 · answered by blinkky winkky 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
first it will come on u & sk whether to destruct or not
2007-02-06 01:16:28 · answer #9 · answered by Jaldeep K 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does have an "easy" button.
2007-02-06 01:11:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋