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SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

apnews.com

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Re: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

#61

Post by mabbo »

People want to see 100% success in all things. But that isn't very economical. Compare the SLS to Starship.

SLS has had a 100% success rate. One launch, one success. But it costs $2B per launch (and climbing) and has taken 12 years to get here. Plus, it's stealing pieces of the Space Shuttle, which was developed in the 70s over a long period of time.

Starship will launch a half a dozen "failures" before they achieve success, but they will have a bigger, better launch system that's fully reusable and costs orders of magnitude less per launch.

"Fail fast" applies to more than just software.

Re: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

#63

Post by Aaargh20318 »

Q6T46nT668w6i3m wrote: post #23
simondotau wrote: post #6

Success was defined as the rocket leaving the launchpad. Suggesting that this test “failed” is at best a mischaracterisation.

Sure, but, nevertheless, I’d like to know why it exploded before declaring this a success!

It likely exploded because they blew it up (flight termination system). It looks like the stages failed to separate and it started to spin. In this case they don’t let an uncontrollable rocket just fly off and see where it comes down, they blow it up. The FTS is basically an explosive mounted to the rocket that can be remotely detonated exactly for situations like this.

Re: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

#65

Post by ravenstine »

simondotau wrote: post #6

Success was defined as the rocket leaving the launchpad. Suggesting that this test “failed” is at best a mischaracterisation.

Even if this is true, it's going to get more and more difficult to explain away rocket explosions as succeeding the more decades we put between us and the dawn of the Space Age. If SpaceX is still blowing up rockets in 2033, it's going to become a PR problem, especially as the MSM further turns its back on Musk.

Re: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

#66

Post by travisgriggs »

One of the new graphics that showed up on the dashboard was that of the engines lit. There were at least 2 on the outer ring that were fed from TO, and a few more winked out during the flight.

I’m curious how many off engines the system tolerates. How many do they anticipate regularly? I’ve never noticed if Falcon 9s periodically run as a Falcon 8 or 7?

All and all, ‘‘twas an awesome sight. Kudos to all those cheering excited people.

Re: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

#68

Post by vvillena »

kgwxd wrote: post #28
haunter wrote: post #8

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1wcilQ58hI&t=2920s (the cheering is actually really funny cause the launch was already a success)

The cheering was annoying, it felt like it was being forced by some cringey hype man.

Part of SpaceX company culture. All their launches are cheer-heavy. Even mission control gets rowdy at times.

Re: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

#69

Post by Xeoncross »

bhouston wrote: post #5

[flagged]

I think that article might be a little over-the-top. As mentioned in the article, Twitter has every protection that Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube have. In addition, Twitter's "Hateful Conduct Policy still explicitly prohibits attacking others based on “sexual orientation, gender, gender identity".

I think the outrage is Twitter moving from the head of the progressive pack to inline with everyone else. Since there isn't really an alternative to Twitter for the business world, I'd rather it did it's best to be 'average', not overly conservative or liberal.

Re: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

#70

Post by shadowgovt »

ravenstine wrote: post #65
simondotau wrote: post #6

Success was defined as the rocket leaving the launchpad. Suggesting that this test “failed” is at best a mischaracterisation.

Even if this is true, it's going to get more and more difficult to explain away rocket explosions as succeeding the more decades we put between us and the dawn of the Space Age. If SpaceX is still blowing up rockets in 2033, it's going to become a PR problem, especially as the MSM further turns its back on Musk.

That doesn't make any sense for prototypes. It's been slightly fewer decades since we've been doing consumer software. Does anybody expect version 1 to be bug free?
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