It's likely worth noting that the shuttle has a famously robust computer system. The Challenger was related to an engineering flaw in the mechanical design of t

It's likely worth noting that the shuttle has a famously robust computer system. The Challenger was related to an engineering flaw in the mechanical design of the system. I forget my source, but IIRC the computer system actually noticed the pressure drop from the fuel lines (what with the exploding) and started the shutdown process, spinning down the turbos before the system was forcefully disassembled. Takes a while to turn off the turbos; a few hundred milliseconds really isn't enough time... [0] Obligatory link to the Feynman report http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/flyfeature_shuttlecomputers.html http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/flyfeature_... [1] A cool article on the software running the shuttle http://www.fastcompany.com/28121/they-write-right-stuff http://www.fastcompany.com/28121/they-write-right-stuff