Ignore the fact that, once radio communications are lost with the shuttles, Ground Control decides to set off the nuke and sends a radio signal to successfully start an onboard countdown. Read that last fluke carefully, 'cuz this is about where Cranky suspension started to stretch to the breaking point. Yes, I can see all your typing digits preparing to flame on. T'ain't necessary folks. Honestly, Cranky usually has no problem ignoring all that stuff.
Suspension of disbelief is a necessary thing for popcorn movies.
But when our beloved miners in space break out the machine guns to blast themselves out of a sticky situation, well . . . Which is why I always talk to the audience. I rarely react this negatively to any kind of flick, let alone a popcorn movie. Those of you I spoke with afterwards all liked Armageddon , and that's all fine and good. Every once in a while, when I see crap, you see gold.