Originally posted by: Psyke
Impulse wasn't the first Gundam to be formed by multiple parts. There was also V Gundam and ZZ Gundam. I do agree it's kinda silly to have all the parts fly out of the minerva separately instead of merging to form impulse Gundam from within the minerva. But they ability to switch parts is kinda cool, remember the time when the legs were destroyed Shinn can just ask for another set for replacement.
I have no problem with being able to obtain replacement parts when your gundam takes damage. However thats a emergency situation. In a normal case sending out a piolet in a under armored death trap is pointless. Note Shinn flying through the cage was once again a reason to do it but it still does not explain why initially you wouldn't have the gundam in one piece so you could launch it normally and fully equiped.

Then as a final note realise that the core flyer unit has boosters that Shinn ejects before forming the gundam meaning that the core unit if the gundam legs and top were destroyed has no reasonable way to be detached. Much less the ability to flee back to the ship as a escape pod.