After MSC-002, NASA makes launch abort standard — a quiet rewrite of crew safety

KOEING's R-SLS2 tower is now the baseline expectation for every future crewed atmospheric flight, including MunShot contenders.

Kerbin — By The Herald Editorial Board · Leader · Program mechanics

The R-SLS2's Launch Abort System is KOEING's most lasting contribution to MSC safety culture so far. By making it the standard, NASA acknowledged something the program had quietly avoided: that crewed vehicles were flying without a last-resort escape option.

The mandate now shapes every future vehicle design. Any MunShot contender — including KerbalX — has to build to this standard. KOEING designed it first and flies it first. That's a quiet but significant advantage.

MSC-003 did not need the tower in anger. That is the point of the tower.