I take it these motors replace the old style “escape tower” rockets?
CC
Yes and no. The ‘escape tower’ rocket Launch Escape System is the same general idea - get the crew out if the launch goes bad - but instead of pulling just the small crew capsule off the rocket stack like the Mercury and Apollo LES did, the Dragon LES is an integrated part of the vehicle.
Basically, the system is designed to take the occupants *and* the payload off the rocket stack and it does not have to be jettisoned once the craft gets a certain distance up or away. The idea is to be able to get the capsule away from a malfunctioning rocket at any point in flight to save lives and the payload. If it works, a Challenger type situation would likely be survivable - including the landing.
