Soyuz Launch Escape Tower System

Related video: Video of Soyuz launch escape system used in a real emergency: ▶ this video This is probably how SpaceX imagines astronauts would be saved in case of a fueling problem.

For those interested, here is a neat video of a launch escape system working as intended during Soyuz T-10-1: ▶ this video It is the only time a launch escape system has actually been used.

The video of T-10-1 is stunning: ▶ this video That the people on that rocket escaped with "bruises" is amazing.

A few random comments: There's a video of the Soyuz explosion mentioned above at ▶ this video that shows the escape system saving the crew. The use of solid rocket boosters for human space flight (as was planned for Ares I) is hugely controversial because they can't just be shut down in the event of a problem, as regular engines can, making survivability more difficult. Personally, I think NASA is overly risk-adverse, to the point that nothing gets accomplished (see Constellation / Ares I). An interesting article on this is link On the topic of aircraft turbine failures, there's the interesting case of a DC-10 engine that disintegrated in flight due to a pilot experiment, killing a passenger. For details see: link Finally, if you're interested in SpaceX, NASA budgeting, and so forth, I recommend link