chicken switch

noun, Rocketry Slang.
1.
a device by which an astronaut may eject the capsule in which he or she rides in the event that a rocket malfunctions.
2.
egads button.
Slang definitions & phrases for chicken switch

chicken switch

noun phrase
  1. A control used to destroy a malfunctioning rocket in flight; a destruct switch
  2. A control used to eject an astronaut or pilot from a damaged vehicle

[1950s+ Astronautics; chicken fr the sense ''coward''; egads an acronym for electronic ground automatic destruct sequencer and coincides with an archaic interjection of dismay]