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SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

bbc.co.uk

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Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#11

Post by tcoppi »

kome wrote: post #5

The Falcon 9 explodes again? ...While the European Vega rocket (aimed at the same size of payloads, but much more versatile of the Falcon 9[1]) is 3 success out of 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega_rocket The political will to create a private market for rockets is strong in US. So strong that a lot of American public money has been used to save SpaxeX from failure, multiple time. But concretely, what's the point…

This was an auto-destruct, it didn't just randomly explode due to engine failure. Some other parameters of the test launch were either incorrectly configured or went out of bounds and the flight computer destroyed it. Rockets are hard, sometimes you have to fail fast.

Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#13

Post by wolf550e »

kome wrote: post #5

The Falcon 9 explodes again? ...While the European Vega rocket (aimed at the same size of payloads, but much more versatile of the Falcon 9[1]) is 3 success out of 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega_rocket The political will to create a private market for rockets is strong in US. So strong that a lot of American public money has been used to save SpaxeX from failure, multiple time. But concretely, what's the point…

The Falcon 9 never exploded. So far it has made 11 successful flights to orbit, it lost an engine mid-flight, once, Grasshopper made 8 successful hops, and G9R Dev1, a three engined first stage with grid fins, self-destructed on its 5th flight, probably while trying to do something no rocket has ever done. Note that SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said last year that she feels the engineers are not pushing the reusability testing enough because there were no failures yet.

NASA is a terrible rocket design bureau good only for pork barrel, which is what is has been doing for decades. NASA had to admit that developing Falcon 9 (100% privately funded by SpaceX and private investors) would have cost more than twice if it was done by NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/586023main_8-3-11_NAFCOM.pdf).

Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#14

Post by mariuolo »

AVTizzle wrote: post #12

>>The unmanned rocket was destroyed when its self-destruct system was triggered after an unexplained malfunction. It's interesting these rockets are equipped with self-destruct systems. What scenario would warrant a rocket purposely self-destruct?

> It's interesting these rockets are equipped with self-destruct systems. What scenario would warrant a rocket purposely self-destruct?

When they're out of control and could hit someone.

Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#16

Post by tim333 »

AVTizzle wrote: post #12

>>The unmanned rocket was destroyed when its self-destruct system was triggered after an unexplained malfunction. It's interesting these rockets are equipped with self-destruct systems. What scenario would warrant a rocket purposely self-destruct?

Because if they lose guidance but the motor keeps running the thing could hit a populated area.

Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#17

Post by electromagnetic »

AVTizzle wrote: post #12

>>The unmanned rocket was destroyed when its self-destruct system was triggered after an unexplained malfunction. It's interesting these rockets are equipped with self-destruct systems. What scenario would warrant a rocket purposely self-destruct?

Honestly, play KSP. Once you flip a rocket, its nearly unrecoverable and it just accelerates into the ground.

Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#18

Post by serf »

AVTizzle wrote: post #12

>>The unmanned rocket was destroyed when its self-destruct system was triggered after an unexplained malfunction. It's interesting these rockets are equipped with self-destruct systems. What scenario would warrant a rocket purposely self-destruct?

probably isn't such a difficult system to add when you're adding that capability to a massive tank of pressurized fuel.

One can imagine all sorts of instances where it'd be preferable to litter the area with debris rather than missle-ing the rocket into a densely populated area.

Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#19

Post by kome »

zizee wrote: post #8
kome wrote: post #5

The Falcon 9 explodes again? ...While the European Vega rocket (aimed at the same size of payloads, but much more versatile of the Falcon 9[1]) is 3 success out of 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega_rocket The political will to create a private market for rockets is strong in US. So strong that a lot of American public money has been used to save SpaxeX from failure, multiple time. But concretely, what's the point…

Are you trolling? Most rocket platforms have had a rate of failure. The ESA's Ariane 5 (predecessor of the VEGA rocket) had launch failures as well. SpaceX has had an amazing run in comparison to most other platforms. >But concretely, what's the point of it? NASA worked fairly well if well founded... NASA doesn't build rockets. They have always outsourced the job to aerospace companies. > Now for political reasons th…

> The ESA's Ariane 5 (predecessor of the VEGA rocket) had a very checkered history.

Ariane 5 is not the predecessor of Vega. They are two very different project, for different payloads. And look at the table of success and failure rate of the Ariane 5 itself http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianne_5

> SpaceX has had an amazing run in comparison to most other platforms.

Clearly that's not the case.

> I think you'll find that political reasons are keeping NASA from buying more launches from SpaceX.

From that interview: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tesla-and-spacex-elon-musks-indu...

Elon Musk: NASA called and told us that we'd won a $1.5 billion contract. And I couldn't even hold the phone, I just blurted out, "I love you guys."

Scott Pelley: They saved you.

Elon Musk: Yeah, they did.

Re: SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

#20

Post by demallien »

kome wrote: post #5

The Falcon 9 explodes again? ...While the European Vega rocket (aimed at the same size of payloads, but much more versatile of the Falcon 9[1]) is 3 success out of 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega_rocket The political will to create a private market for rockets is strong in US. So strong that a lot of American public money has been used to save SpaxeX from failure, multiple time. But concretely, what's the point…

You uh, do realize that this was a test-bed rocket right? Designed to do experimental things?

Also, I was not aware of any Falcon 9 exploding previously. What on earth are you talking about?

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