SpaceX rocket explodes during testing over Texas

Post by NotAtWork » Sat, Aug 23, 2014, 5:28 PM UTC

transpy wrote: post #64

ceejayoz wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an experimental vehicle, you're generally supposed to be pushing the limits of what it can do to find those limits. Essentially, they're saying "no accidents means we aren't trying hard enough to break the thing".

It's interesting how diametrically different are the mindsets of engineers in one hand and the general public on the other. When I saw the video I thought it was a very bad news for SpaceX's name and I imagine some people might think the same. Like that one time when a Tesla car got fire. I remember reading news that highlighted the dangers of electric cars, etc., but then some commentators quickly pointed out the ob…

Post by maccard » Sat, Aug 23, 2014, 5:35 PM UTC

MichaelApproved wrote: post #51

alexobenauer wrote: post #50

"the flight termination system automatically terminated the mission"... by blowing itself up?

How else would you terminate an active rocket flying through the air?

Post by lutorm » Sat, Aug 23, 2014, 5:41 PM UTC

Gravityloss wrote: post #53

exDM69 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they can't. Once you're supersonic, the aerodynamic stress will tear a rocket into shreds if there's even a few degrees of angle of attack.

But if you're high enough, the forces are not very high, so there's probably a Q limit, (that is, proportional to density * speed^2).

Post by libria » Sat, Aug 23, 2014, 5:51 PM UTC

squeaky-clean wrote: post #45

libria wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does matter. I doubt you'll load 300 willing passengers on a 747 if it was widely known it had a self destruct. I would guess each case has to weigh its pros and cons for inclusion of a system. There is such thing as acceptable risk to population. If FAA mandated them carte blanche, Michael Bay movies would become documentaries.

A 747 isn't a spacecraft travelling at supersonic speeds, so it's not really the type of craft relevant to the discussion. Cars, buses and boats also aren't loaded with self-destruct mechanisms for obvious reasons.

Post by lutorm » Sat, Aug 23, 2014, 6:00 PM UTC

maccard wrote: post #83

MichaelApproved wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How else would you terminate an active rocket flying through the air?

Land it safely on the ground 20 or 30 feet from where it took off, obviously /s