How NASA’s ‘cowboys in airplanes’ could help save astronautsShare via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! PrintNASA’s powerful Launch Abort System — literally designed to outrun the debris from an exploding rocket and save the lives of astronauts should something go wrong during launch — is the result of years of work from scientists and engineers across the country, including by the agency’s pioneers of extreme flight out in the Mojave Desert.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 31, 2026 14:32 UTC