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A self-destruct is a mechanism which causes a device to destroy itself under a predefined set of circumstances.

Self-destruct mechanisms are found on devices and systems where malfunction could endanger large numbers of people. The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster rockets, for example, are equipped with explosive charges so that the boosters can be destroyed in the event that they go out of control on launch and endanger a populated area. This feature can be seen in videos of the Challenger disaster. After the initial disintegration of the shuttle, the two solid rocket boosters continued firing until they had exploded simultaneously 37 seconds later. This occurred when the Range Safety Officer decided that the separated boosters had the potential to endanger those on the ground and activated the self-destruct system.^[1]

Some types of modern land mines are designed to self-destruct, or chemically render themselves inert after a period of weeks or months to reduce the likelihood of friendly casualties during the conflict or civilian casualties at the conflict's end. However, these self-destruct mechanisms are not absolutely reliable, and most land mines laid historically are not equipped in this manner.

The naval procedure of scuttling is used to destroy a ship^[2] or ships^[3] to prevent them from being seized^[4][5] and/or reverse-engineered.^[6]

Self-destruct mechanisms are sometimes employed to prevent an apparatus or information from being used by unauthorised persons in the event that it is lost or stolen. For example they may be found in high-security data storage devices (e.g. IronKey), where it is important for the data to be destroyed to prevent compromise.

Use in fiction [link]

Self-destruct mechanisms are a frequently-seen plot device in science fiction stories. Self-destructs in fiction have been seen on military installations, spaceships, and in an artificial intelligence, destroying itself due to cognitive dissonance. In many such stories, after a time limit is reached, a large explosion will occur, detonating everything around the site.

A few examples:

• Alien: Lieutenant Ripley activates a self-destruct mechanism on Commercial Towing Vessel Nostromo in order to destroy a monster that wiped out her entire crew. This system functions by disabling the nuclear reactor cooling system, resulting in a time delayed nuclear meltdown.
• Predator: The Predator decides to destroy itself with honour using a wrist bracer controlled self-destruct device after realizing its defeat at the hands of the film's protagonist. It tries (and fails) to take him with it in the process while laughing menacingly.
• The Andromeda Strain: The microbiological laboratory where the story takes place is equipped with a nuclear device capable of destroying the facility; this device activates automatically and can only be disarmed by the team member specified according to the Odd-Man Hypothesis, so that the area will be cauterized and the release of any infectious agent prevented even if it has wiped out the entire personnel of the base. At the end of the book, the researchers disable a self-destruct sequence to prevent a mutation of Andromeda that would have killed millions of humans.
• Mission: Impossible films and TV-series: The message to the operatives are later in the canon always delivered on something that self-destructs a few seconds after the message has been played. This has been lampooned in a number of other series, for instance, the cartoon Inspector Gadget.
• Resident Evil: The Resident Evil series often ends with the location the game takes place self-destructing, presumably destroying the final boss of the game as well as all the creatures the player has killed.
• Star Trek: In Star Trek III, "The Search For Spock," the USS Enterprise self-destructs in orbit of the Genesis planet. The self-destruct mechanism required the approval of three bridge officers before activation. The resulting explosion killed an entire Klingon boarding party that tried to take over the ship. A self-destruct feature is also referenced in Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Nemesis and in many other episodes of the Star Trek television shows.
• Metroid: Every game in the Metroid series has ended with either a timed self destruct escape sequence, or a cut-scene showing the area explode, with the exception of Metroid 2.
• Phineas and Ferb: All of the evil contraptions invented by scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz feature a self-destruct button, which is usually pressed by his nemesis Agent P at some point during the episode.
• "Stargate SG-1"& "Stargate Atlantis": Stargate Command, Atlantis, and various off world sites are equipped with a self-destruct as a last measure against alien invasion.

See also [link]

Look up self-destruct in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Autothysis
• Apoptosis
• Doomsday device

References [link]