So in a case like this, would it be possible to have the pad abort system kick in? It could potentially pull the cargo module away and make an attempt to parachute it back for recovery? I doubt it could overcome the speed of the rocket but it might have a chance to separate it from the debris cloud?
SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
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Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#112What are the implications of this for SpaceX in monetary terms? Can they just shrug this failure off?
Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#113Can anyone here with a little more knowledge answer the following please?
Who pays for the expense of these types of failures? Does SpaceX have some sort of 3rd party insurance from a private insurer or are they insured by NASA or another branch of the US gov?
How much is the equipment that got destroyed worth? If this happens multiple times in a short space of time as it seems to have recently does the cost of insurance go up for every launch? Does their analysis of data have any impact of the cost of insuring future launches?
Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Don't quote me" means something like, I am not a reliable source and I could be wrong.
Ah, I see. The English Language never ceases to surprise :)
Yeah, that one is not very obvious. Think of it like a warning: "Don't quote me on this, because if you do, you might find yourself repeating incorrect information."
A literal command of "don't quote me because I'm telling you something I shouldn't" would be something like, "Off the record, this is what happened." And yeah, that would be silly to say on the internet.
Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#115Good that nobody was hurt.
that reminds me that Elon Musk said that Antares rockets are junk, so now his own spacecrafts are exploding. Space tech has its problems. Maybe that will teach him to be a bit more humble.
http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2014/10/iss-bound-gear-...
Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#116Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#117I think (of course just an uneducated guess) things were going poorly from the beginning. It just looked slower than usual. Also, it looked like some of the engine exhaust was in places it should not have been several seconds before the "anomaly". I hope they get everything figured out and get back on track soon. Best wished.
I noticed that too, seemed slow clearing the tower, I thought it was mo imagination, or the camera angle.
Same here, but they said the liftoff was nominal so I'm guessing it's either imagination or camera angle. This stuff is really hard to judge from video.
Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#118So what's going to happen to the astronauts aboard the ISS - this was a resupply mission. How much longer can they stay up there with their current supplies?
Russians can lift anything in matter of days if need be.
Didn't a Russian rocket with supplies to ISS explode not long ago?
Edit: One exploded in May: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/05/soyuz-2-1a-third-stag... It seems like they are going to launch again with supplies to ISS in July
Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#119BREAKING: "The range confirmed that the vehicle has broken up. @SpaceX is putting together their anomaly team."
Re: SpaceX – Launch Vehicle Failure
#120Can anyone here with a little more knowledge answer the following please? Who pays for the expense of these types of failures? Does SpaceX have some sort of 3rd party insurance from a private insurer or are they insured by NASA or another branch of the US gov? How much is the equipment that got destroyed worth? If this happens multiple times in a short space of time as it seems to have recently does the cost of insur…
Both SpaceX and Orbital ATK carry insurance policies on their ISS resupply launches to protect against this sort of thing, although the policies are not absolutely comprehensive (Orbital's policy had a bothersome gap related to damages caused to the launch facility, owned by a third party). I do not know what the SpaceX vehicle's cost is, but I do know that the Antares rocket that Orbital ATK lost last year was itself valued at ~$200 million USD.