Comment Re:And what about the pilots? (Score 1) 193
Actually, no they cannot. After auto-sequence start, nobody but the computer can stop the launch. It's meant to prevent last minute jitters from scrapping the mission, but then, there's always the possibility of something the computer cannot detect/compensate for. (IE: hole in orbiter wing)
Of course, there are a variety of abort scenarios, the problem with those is that if it's a critical problem immediately after launch, you can't abort because you are still flying a brick... once you get a certain amount of altitude, it's a different story, but still, for about 17 seconds before launch, (if I remember correctly, and I probably don't, though I was the first attending the Space Camp program to ever get the number right) and a couple of minutes afterwards, there is no feisable abort.
After that, you can Return to Launch Site, Landing Site, after Once Around, or now, ISS abort, but that's only for an unlandable ship that otherwise can fly... as I remember it's a PAIN to get to the ISS, which is why the launch windows are so small.
Of course, there are a variety of abort scenarios, the problem with those is that if it's a critical problem immediately after launch, you can't abort because you are still flying a brick... once you get a certain amount of altitude, it's a different story, but still, for about 17 seconds before launch, (if I remember correctly, and I probably don't, though I was the first attending the Space Camp program to ever get the number right) and a couple of minutes afterwards, there is no feisable abort.
After that, you can Return to Launch Site, Landing Site, after Once Around, or now, ISS abort, but that's only for an unlandable ship that otherwise can fly... as I remember it's a PAIN to get to the ISS, which is why the launch windows are so small.
