It's funny that SpaceX is using the term "rapid unscheduled disassembly" unironically, despite it originally being a humourous euphemism.
Why can't they just say "exploded" ?
Sometimes euphemisms are fun.
SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
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Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#92I haven't watched launches since the space shuttle days. I have watched both of the Starship launches, and will watch all of them that I can. Excitement about space is back with a vengeance!
Didn't SpaceX stop streaming their launches?
It's on Twitter and NASAspace flight on YouTube.
You might even be able to get a periscope link
Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#93Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#94I haven't watched launches since the space shuttle days. I have watched both of the Starship launches, and will watch all of them that I can. Excitement about space is back with a vengeance!
Didn't SpaceX stop streaming their launches?
Their own streams are now only on Twitter, but 3rd parties like NasaSpaceFlight run their own streams, usually with worse visuals but better commentary
Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/is-spacex-... > Part of the Merlin’s qualification testing involves feeding a stainless steel nut into the fuel and oxidizer lines while the engine is running—a test that would destroy most engines but leaves the Merlin running basically unhindered. They're not running it through the engine, they're verifying that the filter is installed and functional so it doesn't g…
2012 article so it predates my time by quite a bit. Not a thing anymore though.
Things change.
Maybe it's more of a type certification/ crash test thing. Test one to failure and assume it works
Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#96Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why can't they just say "exploded" ?
RUD very often means an anomaly triggered a self-destruct. Saying it "exploded" implies the explosion was not automatically triggered.
I don't think RUD suggests self-destruction. It even suggests the opposite, because having a self-destruction system involved means the explosion wasn't entirely "unscheduled". Indeed, SpaceX describes the lower stage explosion, which wasn't caused by the flight termination system, as a "RUD", but not the upper stage explosion, which was caused by the flight termination system.
Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#97> "The most likely root cause for the booster RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly) was determined to be filter blockage where liquid oxygen is supplied to the engines, leading to a loss of inlet pressure in engine oxidizer turbopumps that eventually resulted in one engine failing in a way that resulted in loss of the vehicle," the company stated. "SpaceX has since implemented hardware changes inside future booster oxi…
Here is a theory https://youtu.be/ZIisBG3NV8Y?t=4445 that there was a methane leak which could have caused solid methane which could block filters.
He abandones that theory in the pinned comment.
Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#98> "The most likely root cause for the booster RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly) was determined to be filter blockage where liquid oxygen is supplied to the engines, leading to a loss of inlet pressure in engine oxidizer turbopumps that eventually resulted in one engine failing in a way that resulted in loss of the vehicle," the company stated. "SpaceX has since implemented hardware changes inside future booster oxi…
Question is: What blocked the filter? They probably have some idea, since they sound confident they know what needs to be changed.
Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#99I haven't watched launches since the space shuttle days. I have watched both of the Starship launches, and will watch all of them that I can. Excitement about space is back with a vengeance!
Didn't SpaceX stop streaming their launches?
I wouldn't notice. I stop watching them, because they got boring.
Let me say that again: space launches got boring. I hoped, but never believed, I'll live long enough to see this happen.
Re: SpaceX discloses cause of Starship anomalies as it clears an FAA hurdle
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
It means that private industry is doing a better job of allocating funding and meeting demand.
I think NASA also has higher public/pr standards they’re held to. A few spacex failures no one cares much about. If nasa fails a few times everyone (particularly more conservative leaning folk) starts complaining about their precious taxpayer money. Hence NASA likely sticks to project that are very low risk. I’m not saying this is good or bad per se, but public opinion is what it is. It’s also a bit of damned if you…
There's also a political angle since NASA represents the US. If anything goes wrong with a NASA project it's a massive propaganda opportunity for agitators and rival countries to mass spam the internet about how horrible America has become, what a laughing stock, etc., etc., doing everything they can to push their anti-US propaganda as hard as they can. There's more repercussions for NASA to fail at something than a private company.