What exactly does "abort" do?

[Airtamis]

I would thnk that aborting ends the mission, but absolutely nothing happens whenever I click the abort button unless everyone on the crew is dead.

[Trout]

You can put an action group to it, so like the top stage would decouple and the parachute would activate if you would wish.

[Airtamis]

So it doesn't do anything by itself, you have to set it to something?

[Zombo]

Abort can be used to set up an escape system in case you have unplanned ship malfunctions. It will uncouple your command pod, and set off the escape tower engines or any other srbs you decide to use, and deploy chutes. Saving your Kerbals from doom.

You have to map them using the action menu.. And of course, put in the necessary parts.

[General Dog Food]

Use the action menu to set it up yourself. Usually, just putting it so that a decoupler fires off and so does a parachute should be enough in case something goes wrong during liftoff.

[Zombo]

Yes, adding the little srb rockets is optional. They can help shoot the pod clear, but its not absolutely necessary. Just riskier not having them..

[Proteus]

Aye ...
it is really useful.
I for my part (like others) built a Rescue tower with 3*4 SRB
and have firing of the SRBs as well as disconnecting the capsule in my Abort-Action group

[Airtamis]

Alright, thanks everyone.

[Polkaripov]

Originally posted by Airtamis:

I would thnk that aborting ends the mission, but absolutely nothing happens whenever I click the abort button unless everyone on the crew is dead.

IS PANIC BUTTON FOR EJECTION OF KERBMONAUTS FROM LAUNCH VEHICLE SABOTAGED BY DISSENTERS.

[Gertjan]

for my manned missions i indeed program the 'abort' button to stop all engines, decouple the pod, fire eventual seperator rockets on the pod and open the parachute (dont forget to turn off engines, especially if you dont use seperator rockets; your main craft can and will motor trough the pod).

on my unmanned stations/bases though, i use the abort button to instantly set it to operational: kill engines, deploy solar panels, open habitat tubes, start drills, activate conversion... whatever it is supposed to be doing

[I'm Ant]

I play it like in real life. Kerbals lives come first. I put a tower on the top of the kerbal command pod. I add 6 Sepratons to that tower. In the VAB I add the command pod decoupler, sepratons and parachute to the abort .

Now when lift off goes horribly wrong I hit the backspace key and the command pod seperates and blasts away and the chute opens saving my kerbals from doom.

Here is NASA testing a new escape system for their planed shuttle replacment Orion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c9rS5G5X6Y

NASA CGI version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd--3KgoUzo

[Micket]

It makes me wonder, will the abort button be crucial in career mode? Maybe you lose funding if a Kerbanaut dies? Cause I usually just watch them explode when there is no hope of salvaging the mission. :P

[I'm Ant]

A hefty fine would be a good idea or a reduction in monthly funding.

[Jordsta95]

Usually I just set up a decoupler, and have it activate using that (you need to use action groups to set it up)

[Zombo]

In career mod you will be training your kerbals, and they will have skills apparently, so you wont want your best kerbals dying needlessly.

[Micket]

So what advantages will one have with an veteran Kermin opposed to a rookie?