The Launch Escape System is an emergency abort mechanism attached to a crewed spacecraft. It typically consists of a solid rocket motor tower mounted on top of the capsule. If the main launch vehicle suffers a catastrophic failure on the pad or during early ascent, the LES ignites instantly to pull the crew module safely away from the explosion, allowing parachutes to deploy.
Heard on the job
We need to verify the LES pyrotechnics are fully armed before the countdown reaches T-minus five minutes.
Also heard as
- launch escape system
- launch abort system