SpaceX aces Crew Dragon launch abort test, destroys rocket on purpose

Space.com ^ | Sunday, January 19, 2020 | Amy Thompson

[IndispensableDestiny]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX just took a giant leap forward in its quest to launch astronauts. The private spaceflight company intentionally destroyed one of its rockets on Sunday (Jan. 19) as part of a crucial test of its new Crew Dragon capsule's launch escape system.

The uncrewed test, known as an in-flight abort (IFA) test, is the last major hurdle SpaceX needed to clear before Crew Dragon can begin to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Originally scheduled to launch on Saturday (Jan. 18), the unpiloted crew capsule was grounded for 24 hours due to unfavorable weather conditions at both the launch site and the Crew Dragon recovery zone, the Atlantic Ocean just off the Florida coast.

[Alas Babylon!]

Well, look at it this way.

You’re going to die.

Everyone dies.

The question is, how are you going to go out?

If you get blowed up in a fancy Elon Musk rocket, at least you’d be remembered for a while.

Of course, even historical events fade over time...

[IndispensableDestiny]

I was looking for one from the ground showing the booster plummeting to the ocean.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[Conan the Librarian]

We are moored in the Titusville Mooring field, about 15 miles west of the launch. It was partly cloudy this morning, but, I got to see, then hear the launch, then the detonation of the rocket, then heard that, and then saw something fall out of the sky through a hole in the clouds. Not sure if it was the capsule or the body of the rocket. It was falling fast, so, I think it was part of the rocket.

Would have been more interesting at night, but, I’ll take it.

There is another launch scheduled for tomorrow a 12:20 pm. I fear the weather will scrub this one.

[gnarledmaw]

Parasite 10 is malware.

[Jamestown1630]

I didn’t see one of those either; but it was 30 miles (?) off Cape Canaveral. You could see the rescue boats, though.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, I’m not sure how far Glenn’s quote applies to SpaceX, but:

“As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.”

-John Glenn

[Vince Ferrer]

This is an excellent accomplishment. There has never been a more thorough test of an escape system on a launch vehicle. The Apollo rockets had a similar system, but it was only tested on the ground. The dragon capsule was also ground tested a couple of years ago. The shuttle could do some aborts to land on runways, but there were gaps in the launch where that wasn't possible. As a we have seen through real flight failures, the shuttle could not survive an explosion. Only blue origin has had a similar test to separate while launching, but that was a suborbital launch

So with this test the Falcon + Dragon went from untested to being the safest launch vehicle ever.

Here is a good analysis by Scott Manley, who is a very good blogger on space issues. (Much better than the typical science reporter in the mainstream press)

SpaceX Explodes A Rocket To Show That It's Safe

[cgbg]

My advice to any young person seeking career advice—become a negligence defense attorney for space corporations.

You will be in infinite demand!

(More than a thousand people died building the trans-continental railroad in the 1800s—but the railroad companies got away with it because they did not operate in a litigious era....)

[daniel1212]

Video looks and sounds quite amateurish (not as much as me), but it is the tech that matters.

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

The Apollo rockets had a similar system, but it was only tested on the ground.

Not quite correct.

The Apollo spacecraft had an escape tower, not internal rockets like the Dragon. And the Apollo escape tower was tested several times in flight using the "Little Joe II" booster.

[Drago]

They exploded the booster after the Crew Dragon had separated from it at 17km up? Seems like only a “1/2 test” to me...why not the same test near max. dynamic pressure and explode the booster first then separate the Crew Dragon? That would be a more realistic emergency in my thinking.We now know the Crew Dragon can separate successfully on it’s own at speed, now try it after a booster malfunction.

[JD_UTDallas]

They did separate the Dragon at max Q that was the purpose of this test. If the booster has already detonated its not a separation test its a recovery. Separations are done at the onset of a flight abnormally by time the booster has blown up it’s too late. None of the prior launch recovery systems could handle a full booster detonation that’s not.the design point. Think about it if the booster you are attached too has already detonated at supersonic shock wave speed one what is there to.separate from and also is pulling the capsule away at a few hundred miles an hour gonna matter with a supersonic blast wave tearing your vehicle apart come on now think this logically through.

[Drago]

So the emergency separation is designed for what failure mode of the booster? Multiple engine failure (I think Space X has 1 or 2 engine out redundancy), booster structural abnormalities not leading to an explosion? Or ??