Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/12t36ci/launchpad_after_starship_liftoff_from_labpadre/
Posted on 04/20/2023 8:39:48 AM PDT by Morgana
Elon Musk's SpaceX's Starship exploded into a ball of fire on 4/20 during its second failed orbital launch in a week.
The world's largest and most powerful rocket – which was unmanned - lifted off in South Texas and successfully cleared the launchpad, its first milestone.
But the craft was sent into a tailspin when the booster - called Super Heavy - failed to separate from the rocket in mid-air.
The mission ended at around four minutes when the failure sent both stages crashing toward Earth, imploding mid-descent over the Gulf of Mexico.
Despite the failed launch, the team at SpaceX reportedly cracked out champagne bottles and chanted 'go Starship' after the rocket's explosion. The entire Starship program cost around $3billion.
The companies leadership - including Musk - has repeatedly stressed the experimental nature of the launch and said any result that involved Starship getting off the launchpad would be a success.
Musk himself claimed last month that there was a 50 percent chance his spacecraft could explode during the launch.
The billionaire congratulated the SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship' about 20 minutes after the explosion.
'As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation,' SpaceX tweeted.
The company shared on Twitter that its team will review data and work toward another flight for the rocket.
'With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's test will help us improve Starship's reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary,' SpaceX tweeted.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Check. A low altitude explosion would have been really bad. At ten miles, it’s just fireworks.
Really expensive fireworks.
Also read (but not seen) that some damage was made to the launch structure and there was flying concrete from the pad beneath it. . .
So there are bugs to work out there as well. . .
AMEN to that!
In any event, Musk is showing POSITIVE LEADERSHIP characteristics even when things go wrong.
It didn’t explode, it self-destructed.
I know Musk knew there was a better than fair chance this could happen. What beggars belief is that he shows a blanket disregard for the optic all these highly-publicized explosions present to the hoople-heads.
And I have to admit, I do not fancy signing on for a flight to Mars in anything he’s making.
Hope he had insurance on that.
The staff was cheering upon thr implosion. This was a test and the fact it went on for quite a few minutes WAS CONSIDERED a success.
Exactly
everyone just reads the headlines
My sentiments as well. Like him more every day
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/12t36ci/launchpad_after_starship_liftoff_from_labpadre/
“ Despite the failed launch….”
———-
This was a test. The launch was successful. It blew up down range.
The people who write crap like this should think about how they edit their failed first drafts!
One simply cannot launch the largest rocket ever in secret. The failures have to be in public. Thinking they will succeed the first time out of the gate is naive.
Indeed, the Wright Brothers first flight lasted a minute. Of course, it didn't blow up, and didn't cost a billion dollars! As noted earlier, this was not unexpected, and to get that far will sure to help future launches.
It was a successful TEST launch.
It just wasn’t a successful orbit.................😉
I’ve lived long enough to remember the jeers and mockery when Elon tried developing a rocket that would land after launch so it could be reused, thus saving on cost and material (because prior to that, the big orange fuel tank and twin white rocket boosters would burn up on reentry). The numerous failures were all on video.
Then, the process got mastered, to the amazement of all: literal science fiction, come to life.
Now it’s no big deal.
Alternative Headline: Russians still masters of space Travel.
Not sure why so much joy comes from a failed attempt to reach space by your own countryman
27 out of 33 ain’t bad.....................😜👍
Ahh...makes sense. That’s what they said on thr stream
In a way. Contrary to the reports from “journalists”, it didn’t spontaneously explode. Once it was clear that the vehicle was out of control the range safety officer triggered the flight termination system, intentionally destroying the vehicle.
As others have already said, a successful test. That liftoff was mind-bogglingly impressive. I will be anxious to hear how the pad held up, because I saw some large pieces of metal debris lifted a couple hundred feet into the air by the blast.
Excellent post - right on the money.
It was a great first attempt - cleared the tower and passed maxQ.
AND the stack stayed together in spite of all that pinwheeling!
Probably more than many of the launch team expected right outta the gate.
I’m glad to have been able to have watched it.
Robot to William Shatner:
“Danger Will Shatner danger”!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.