Actually it's done all the time. They blow a hole in the end opposite the nozzle. It's done with the shuttle's SRBs, and with solid stages on ICBMs as well as other space lauch vehicles.
Still I too don't care for the exclusive use of solids, especially ones as large as the Shuttle SRBs, on manned vehicles.
That is correct. The pressure in the combustion chamber is suddenly reduced below the point where it will support continued combustion. The forward port is opened pyrotechnically. Solids are all pyrotechnics.
>> ... solids can't be throttled or shut down
> Actually it's done all the time. They blow a hole
> in the end opposite the nozzle.
But not while the solid is still attached to a stack,
manned or otherwise.
As I look at the proposed Crew Vehicle, I'm seriously
wondering under just what scenarios, and during which
windows the use of the escape rocket is a survivable event.