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Posted: 9/1/2016 3:54:00 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
 Quote HistoryI wonder what the secondary explosion was at 3:45. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 3:57:38 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I wonder what the secondary explosion was at 3:45. Quote HistoryQuoted:
I wonder what the secondary explosion was at 3:45. My guess it was fuel stored onboard the satellite. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 3:58:23 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Did anyone else cringe when the payload slowly keeled over and did its death dive?  From my extensive KSP experience, there was a definite lack of struts. Need to add 20 or so to keep things from blowing up.  |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 4:03:40 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Front fell off. Very glad it was only a satellite. From my extensive KSP experience, there was a definite lack of struts. Need to add 20 or so to keep things from blowing up.
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Did anyone else cringe when the payload slowly keeled over and did its death dive? From my extensive KSP experience, there was a definite lack of struts. Need to add 20 or so to keep things from blowing up.
They should have contacted Robbaz. He would have figured that shit out.
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Posted: 9/1/2016 4:03:45 PM EDT
[#5]
What did that rocket know about Hillary?
ETA: Beat like a rented mule. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 4:07:47 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Did anyone else cringe when the payload slowly keeled over and did its death dive? fuck no I laughed like Dr. Evil . . . because it's facebook 
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Posted: 9/1/2016 4:10:50 PM EDT
[#7]
I hope Facebook's satellite was on board.
They have enough info. They don't need more. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 4:49:08 PM EDT
[#8]
I'm in Europe, local stations are saying it had an Israeli satellite on board?
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Posted: 9/1/2016 5:02:55 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm in Europe, local stations are saying it had an Israeli satellite on board? Yes. Facebook was going to lease time on it. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 5:06:51 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I hope Facebook's satellite was on board. They have enough info. They don't need more. So it looks like this GSE spy satellite will be delayed. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 5:10:52 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Our resident 'conspiracy theorist' is convinced that the satellite was owned by Mosad and there was some sabotage carried out by some James Bond type to bring down Musk's stock prices just like in one of the James Bond movies. I used to believe that you just can't make this shit up....but he can. 
Quote HistoryQuoted:
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Quoted:
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Poor Mark Z
My info states that it was an Israeli payload. Yes that's what is being acknowledged. I used to believe that you just can't make this shit up....but he can.
Uhh. Well it was a accident. I don't know what else to say. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 5:11:37 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: fuck no I laughed like Dr. Evil . . . because it's facebook Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Did anyone else cringe when the payload slowly keeled over and did its death dive? fuck no I laughed like Dr. Evil . . . because it's facebook I fapped furiously thinking of the loss of money Zuckerberg now can't donate to Hillary and Soros |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 5:27:55 PM EDT
[#13]
If you are going to lose the payload anyway in an engine test why bother testing the engines? just launch the F*$*% thing.
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Posted: 9/1/2016 5:36:33 PM EDT
[#14]
So they are launching a North Korean rocket ?
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Posted: 9/1/2016 5:36:41 PM EDT
[#15]
Cheer up Elon. You can always sell your shit on the Fourth of July.
Should have read a book on launching rockets. (Inside Space Ex joke) |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 10:36:23 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Anyone else notice how the thermal pulse SMOKED the pylons atop the lighting protection towers, even though none were touched directly by the blast or flames? Go back and watch the video and pay attention to the white pylons on the towers to the right of the actual Falcon and the gantry as the explosion gets going. It's like a smaller version of those nuclear tests where everything starts smoking and frying before the blast wave even gets there. I wonder how far away you could have still felt some heat on your face from that. Yeah, that was cool. |
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Posted: 9/1/2016 10:48:03 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Cheer up Elon. You can always sell your shit on the Fourth of July. Should have read a book on launching rockets. (Inside Space Ex joke) 
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Posted: 9/1/2016 10:57:08 PM EDT
[#18]
Elon took a $390 million hit to his fortune today after this rocket explosion.
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Posted: 9/1/2016 10:59:10 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I hope Facebook's satellite was on board. They have enough info. They don't need more. |
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Posted: 9/2/2016 5:52:06 AM EDT
[#20]
When I was there for the MSL launch they read out a list of what you were supposed to do in case of an explosion on liftoff. I still have the printed instructions they handed out around here somewhere. The rover is nuclear powered, so that lent an extra bit of excitement. |
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Posted: 9/2/2016 6:02:54 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Sounds there was no satelille on board? ETA:Had to reread the site. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Was the satellite on-board, or did they just lose the rocket? Sounds there was no satelille on board? ETA:Had to reread the site. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday morning to deliver Facebook's first satellite. The satellite was part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's plan to bring internet service to areas of areas of sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Orlando Sentinel. But Facebook, fuck zuckerface and fuck Africa. |
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Posted: 9/2/2016 6:07:38 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Elon took a $390 million hit to his fortune today after this rocket explosion. Launch insurance, didn't cost him shit but his premiums just went up a bit. |
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Posted: 9/2/2016 7:04:35 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Launch insurance, didn't cost him shit but his premiums just went up a bit. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Elon took a $390 million hit to his fortune today after this rocket explosion. Launch insurance, didn't cost him shit but his premiums just went up a bit. He stated due to a couple technicalities launch insurance didn't cover it |
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Posted: 9/2/2016 9:45:38 AM EDT
[#24]
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Posted: 9/2/2016 9:53:50 AM EDT
[#25]
Last transmission from the rocket: "Alluah ACKBAR!"
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Posted: 9/2/2016 3:12:13 PM EDT
[#26]
from reddit
SummaryToday, at 9:07AM EDT (13:07 UTC) September 1st, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle suffered a catastrophic failure on SpaceX’s SLC-40 launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The vehicle was being prepared for a late-night launch on September 3rd to deliver AMOS-6, a geostationary communications satellite (the payload onboard) to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. At the time of the explosion, the vehicle was about T-3 minutes away from engine ignition and completion of its static fire; which is when the vehicle test fires the 9 Merlin 1D engines of the vehicle’s first stage as a mission assurance step before launch to ensure all measured parameters are within their correct ranges. An explosion, which originated from the area near or at the upper stage LOX (Liquid Oxygen) tank, ended in a total loss of both the Falcon 9 vehicle and its payload, AMOS-6, as well as causing damage to the SLC-40 launch pad. FAQWhat happened?The vehicle was performing a routine wet dress rehearsal and static fire (read below for static fire definition) on the SLC-40 launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Approximately three minutes before the first stage engines ignited, the upper stage exploded, destroying both stages of the vehicle and the payload. In addition, the accident damaged the launch site to an unknown extent. What caused the explosion?At this point in time, all that is known is that the explosion originated near the upper stage LOX tank, as per Elon Musk’s (CEO and founder of SpaceX) tweet here. This is the second time the upper stage LOX tank has been the rough origin for a fatal vehicle problem on Falcon 9; a weakened heim joint on a COPV (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel) strut caused the loss of a Falcon 9 vehicle carrying Dragon to the ISS as part of the CRS-7 mission on 28 June 2015. This in no way implies causality between these events, and no extra information is available at this time. What are some possible causes of the explosion?Short answer: we don’t know. Long answer: SpaceX are still investigating. They’ll need to conduct a detailed investigation over the coming weeks to determine the root cause, as well as examine all of the vehicle & ground systems to make sure the failure doesn’t occur again. Until the investigation is complete and the findings have been announced, baseless speculation is not helpful, and will be removed from this subreddit. What is a static fire?A static fire is a test, performed before the launch, to verify that the vehicle is ready for flight. It is identical to a launch until the moment of liftoff; instead of releasing the vehicle shortly after first stage engine ignition, the vehicle fires for several seconds and then shuts down. Afterwards, propellant is unloaded, the launch vehicle is lowered and taken back to the hangar, and all the data from the static fire is reviewed. SpaceX is unique in the launch services industry in that they perform static fire tests on their vehicles before launch; no other provider does this. Was it a reused first stage?No, this was F9-029, a newly produced Falcon 9 first stage core that was preparing for its first flight to carry AMOS-6 to orbit. The first mission using a "flight-proven” (also known as reused) first stage core will be lofting SES-10, which was scheduled for a launch no earlier than October prior to today’s anomaly. There is no statistical data at this point in time which points to either new or "flight-proven” vehicles being more or less safe than the other. This will only be able to be determined experimentally through reuse itself. How is this incident similar to the CRS-7 Falcon 9 failure last fall?Both failures stemmed from an issue apparently near the second stage of the vehicle, and both missions carried unmanned payloads. Beyond that, similarities are few and far apart. CRS-7 was not a commercial mission, but rather part of a contract with NASA to deliver supplies and scientific experiments to the ISS. The CRS-7 incident took place 2 minutes and 19 seconds into flight, while the Amos-6 incident occurred at approximately T-3 minutes to its static fire. Who will be a part of the incident & investigation report?SpaceX lease SLC-40 from the United States Air Force. As the anomaly occurred on their property, they will want to be part of any investigation; just as NASA was a part of the investigation which grounded Antares out of Wallops in 2014. Was anyone injured or killed?All personnel were cleared from the launch pad in accordance with SpaceX’s static fire protocols. Because of this, nobody was near the vehicle or the launchpad, so no confirmed fatalities or injuries were caused. All Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Fire Department and Kennedy Space Center Fire Department firefighters remained safe; and assisted in the cleanup operation yesterday. Why does SpaceX static fire the vehicle with the second stage attached?A static fire is designed to emulate a launch up until the T-0 mark; except for the releasing of the vehicle, the run-up should be identical. The intent of this process is to discover any issues (such as unexpected vehicle margins, non-functional components, or out of bound parameters) that might appear during propellant loading or other pre-launch processes. Obviously the vehicle should never explode during the static fire. Why does SpaceX static fire the vehicle with the payload attached?According to Peter B. de Selding on Twitter, SpaceX implemented an optional policy of attaching the payload to the vehicle earlier this year with some "insurer upset”, as it saves about a day during of launch preparations, and allows SpaceX to monitor the payload’s interaction with the vehicle. The customer can decline this option if they wish. Why was the second stage being fueled if its engine is not fired during a static fire?A static fire is a dress rehearsal for actual launch procedures. SpaceX uses the static fire to make sure all the systems and procedures are working well and running smoothly for the impending launch. To make this procedure as true to the actual launch as possible, SpaceX loads both stages with propellant, and the customer often agrees to let their satellite be integrated for the entire process. The ten second firing of the engines at the end may be the flashiest part of the static fire, but it is preceded by hours of work by launch teams making sure the pre-fire checklist is coming along well. Thanks, /u/old_sellsword! What happened to the satellite?The AMOS-6 satellite, which was atop the second stage and encapsulated in the payload fairing during the static fire, fell off the vehicle after the explosion and was completely destroyed. Was the AMOS-6 satellite insured?Spacecom insured the payload under two policies: one for pre-launch procedures, where the satellite was classified as marine cargo for $285 million. The second policy is a more standard space launch policy. The latter policy does not become active until the moment of ignition for launch, and remains active for T+1 year after liftoff. As today’s anomaly occurred during the prelaunch-phase of operations, Spacecom does not get to exercise this policy. Who owned the satellite?Spacecom is the owner and operator of the $200 million AMOS-6 geostationary communications satellite. Onboard, it has 36 transponders, that would have been used to serve the European & African market. Spacecom sold 18 of these transponders' capacity to Eutelsat, as well as Facebook as part of a 5 year lease for their Internet.org project. It is important to note that neither Facebook or Mark Zuckerberg (Founder and CEO of Facebook) owned any part or whole of the satellite. What will happen to the satellite’s owners & leasers?Spacecom, a company with $140 million in equity, was in negotiations to be purchased by Beijing Xinwei Technology Group, pending the successful launch of AMOS-6. It is likely negotiations will have to be restarted to take into account the new financial situation of Spacecom. Today’s trading of Spacecom on the Tel-Aviv Stock Market saw their shareprice drop by 9.19%. Eutelsat, one of two companies leasing transponder capacity on the satellite, expects $5 million in losses in the current fiscal year, rising to $25-30 million in losses in FY2019. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg released the following statement concerning their involvement in the launch: As I'm here in Africa, I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent. When will SpaceX launch their next mission?SpaceX’s manifest at this point in time is now uncertain. They will need to establish a cause for the anomaly first, as well as rebuild the SLC-40 launch pad. Another SpaceX launch in 2016 is possible, particularly if it takes place at Vandenberg Air Force Base on the West Coast, but is not confirmed. Expect a statement from SpaceX shortly to confirm their plans going forward. Was the launch pad damaged?Yes, but we don’t know how badly. Chances are that it’s seriously damaged; before any Falcon 9 can be launched from SLC-40, the launch pad and the Transporter/Erector will have to be repaired and/or rebuilt. This could easily take several months. SpaceX still leases SLC-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base which services polar launches. In addition, they’re working on refurbishing a former Saturn V/STS launch site, LC-39A. However, this pad won’t be ready for launches until January 2017 at the earliest. Could pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center be used in lieu of SLC-40?LC-39A, when complete, will be able to support both Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9, but it is not yet complete. Under the current schedule up to today, LC-39A was to be ready to host launches no earlier than January 2017. SpaceX may need to distribute engineering and construction resources between both pads for a time, which could slow progress at LC-39A. How could this affect SpaceX’s future plans (IAC, Red Dragon, Commercial Crew)?Red Dragon and Commercial Crew haven’t necessarily been delayed by the Amos-6 anomaly, as the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy vehicles are not on the critical path for either one at the moment. The Red Dragon and Dragon 2 teams can continue development while the Falcon 9 failure is diagnosed. As the Amos-6 mission did not include a Dragon capsule, Dragon 2 development does not need to be paused during the investigation; although resources could be diverted for a time. IAC 2016 is a multi-disciplinary conference that will happen with or without Elon, but the contents of his talk may be modified, or cancelled entirely. We are not sure yet. What does this acronym mean?Here is a list of the most commonly used acronyms in spaceflight. |
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Posted: 9/2/2016 4:13:50 PM EDT
[#27]
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Posted: 9/2/2016 4:30:28 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistorySend Zuckerberg's little faggot ass over there to walk around with a WiFi antenna. |
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Posted: 9/2/2016 4:32:35 PM EDT
[#29]
Jebediah Kerbal could not be reached for comment.
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Posted: 9/2/2016 4:36:46 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Send Zuckerberg's little faggot ass over there to walk around with a WiFi antenna. Quote HistoryQuoted: Send Zuckerberg's little faggot ass over there to walk around with a WiFi antenna. |
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Posted: 9/5/2016 6:48:05 PM EDT
[#31]
Update on this event:
Source "At the time of the loss, the launch vehicle was vertical and in the process of being fueled for the test. At this time, the data indicates the anomaly originated around the upper stage liquid oxygen tank. Per standard operating procedure, all personnel were clear of the pad. There were no injuries. To identify the root cause of the anomaly, SpaceX began its investigation immediately after the loss, consistent with accident investigation plans prepared for such a contingency. These plans include the preservation of all possible evidence and the assembly of an Accident Investigation Team, with oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration and participation by NASA, the United States Air Force and other industry experts. We are currently in the early process of reviewing approximately 3000 channels of telemetry and video data covering a time period of just 35-55 milliseconds. As for the Launch Pad itself, our teams are now investigating the status of SLC-40. The pad clearly incurred damage, but the scope has yet to be fully determined. We will share more data as it becomes available. SpaceX currently operates 3 launch pads – 2 in Florida and 1 in California at Vandenberg Air Force Base. SpaceX's other launch sites were not affected by yesterday's events. Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base is in the final stages of an operational upgrade and Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center remains on schedule to be operational in November. Both pads are capable of supporting Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. We are confident the two launch pads can support our return to flight and fulfill our upcoming manifest needs." |
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Posted: 9/9/2016 11:46:31 PM EDT
[#32]
Here is another update on this event. I suggest reading the entire report below and not just the short blurb I will copy.
Musk: No answers so far in ‘difficult’ failure investigation "SpaceX is more than a week into a company-led probe of a launch pad explosion Sept. 1 that destroyed a Falcon 9 booster and an Israeli communications satellite, but the investigation so far has turned up no smoking gun on the cause of the mishap, Elon Musk said Friday. In a series of tweets posted Friday, Musk said SpaceX is “still working on the Falcon fireball investigation,” and the inquiry is “turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years.”" |
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Posted: 9/9/2016 11:59:04 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Here is another update on this event. I suggest reading the entire report below and not just the short blurb I will copy. Musk: No answers so far in ‘difficult’ failure investigation "SpaceX is more than a week into a company-led probe of a launch pad explosion Sept. 1 that destroyed a Falcon 9 booster and an Israeli communications satellite, but the investigation so far has turned up no smoking gun on the cause of the mishap, Elon Musk said Friday. In a series of tweets posted Friday, Musk said SpaceX is "still working on the Falcon fireball investigation,” and the inquiry is "turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years.”" Yea Elon said he hasn't ruled out that something hit it. Said all systems were turned off when fueling, then it suddenly exploded. |
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Posted: 9/10/2016 12:09:04 AM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yea Elon said he hasn't ruled out that something hit it. Said all systems were turned off when fueling, then it suddenly exploded. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Here is another update on this event. I suggest reading the entire report below and not just the short blurb I will copy. Musk: No answers so far in ‘difficult’ failure investigation "SpaceX is more than a week into a company-led probe of a launch pad explosion Sept. 1 that destroyed a Falcon 9 booster and an Israeli communications satellite, but the investigation so far has turned up no smoking gun on the cause of the mishap, Elon Musk said Friday. In a series of tweets posted Friday, Musk said SpaceX is "still working on the Falcon fireball investigation,” and the inquiry is "turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years.”" Yea Elon said he hasn't ruled out that something hit it. Said all systems were turned off when fueling, then it suddenly exploded. Space also sent an email yesterday asking for any video or stills of the event. |
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Posted: 9/10/2016 12:11:09 AM EDT
[#35]
Isn't that the plan with this company?
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Posted: 9/15/2016 8:22:50 AM EDT
[#36]
Sounds like they are aiming for a November return to flight. Falcon Heavy will probably not launch until spring 2017. Assuming next year goes smoothly it should be an exciting year! Faster launch cadence, 2 pads in operation at the Cape, Boca Chica nearing completion, Falcon Heavy and Crew Dragon launches.
Boeing Starliner should be launching next year as well, Blue Origin is getting into the orbital launch game with their New Glenn rocket as well. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 2:52:02 PM EDT
[#37]
From their FB page:
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">September 23, 1:00pm EDT[/span] Three weeks ago, SpaceX experienced an anomaly at our Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This resulted in the loss of one of our Falcon 9 rockets and its payload. The Accident Investigation Team (AIT), composed of SpaceX, the FAA, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and industry experts, are currently scouring through approximately 3,000 channels of engineering data along with video, audio and imagery. The timeline of the event is extremely short – from first signs of an anomaly to loss of data is about 93 milliseconds or less than 1/10th of a second. The majority of debris from the incident has been recovered, photographed, labeled and catalogued, and is now in a hangar for inspection and use during the investigation. At this stage of the investigation, preliminary review of the data and debris suggests that a large breach in the cryogenic helium system of the second stage liquid oxygen tank took place. All plausible causes are being tracked in an extensive fault tree and carefully investigated. Through the fault tree and data review process, we have exonerated any connection with last year’s CRS-7 mishap. The teams have continued inspections of LC-40 and the surrounding facilities. While substantial areas of the pad systems were affected, the Falcon Support Building adjacent to the pad was unaffected, and per standard procedure was unoccupied at the time of the anomaly. The new liquid oxygen farm – e.g. the tanks and plumbing that hold our super-chilled liquid oxygen – was unaffected and remains in good working order. The RP-1 (kerosene) fuel farm was also largely unaffected. The pad’s control systems are also in relatively good condition. SpaceX’s other facilities, from the Payload Processing Facility at the Cape, to the pad and hangar at LC-39A, are located several miles from LC-40 and were unaffected as well. Work continues at Pad 39A in preparation for bringing it online in November. The teams have been in contact with our Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center partners and neighbors and have found no evidence of debris leaving the immediate area of LC-40. At SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA, our manufacturing and production is continuing in a methodical manner, with teams continuing to build engines, tanks, and other systems as they are exonerated from the investigation. We will work to resume our manifest as quickly as responsible once the cause of the anomaly has been identified by the Accident Investigation Team. Pending the results of the investigation, we anticipate returning to flight as early as the November timeframe. Other efforts, including the Commercial Crew Program with NASA, are continuing to progress. Getting back to flight safely and reliably is our top priority, and the data gathered from the present investigation will result in an even safer and more reliable vehicle for our customers and partners. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 2:53:45 PM EDT
[#38]
I worked on the parachute system drawings for this launch.... sucks balls
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Posted: 9/23/2016 3:29:31 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I worked on the parachute system drawings for this launch.... sucks balls What on this launch had a parachute system? This wasn't a Dragon launch, payload was a satelite, so shouldn't be any parachutes...unless they were going to try and recover payload fairings on this one? |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 3:46:14 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What on this launch had a parachute system? This wasn't a Dragon launch, payload was a satelite, so shouldn't be any parachutes...unless they were going to try and recover payload fairings on this one? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I worked on the parachute system drawings for this launch.... sucks balls What on this launch had a parachute system? This wasn't a Dragon launch, payload was a satelite, so shouldn't be any parachutes...unless they were going to try and recover payload fairings on this one? I think he meant if the program is scrapped that he might be out of a job, at least contract work for SpaceX. If SpaceX has any more failures it won't be long before funding is pulled and clients look elsewhere for more reliable delivery systems to get their wares to orbit. The longer it takes to find answers as to what happened is not only concerning to public, it's concerning to those want a reliable delivery system and no longer will be willing to put a payload on an experimental rocket with serious reliability issues. It is what it is. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 3:52:12 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Rocket exploded during a test fire. Good news because nobody should be in the area Link mentions launch pad was cleared. No injuries. But dammit! This is a setback for PRIVATE space flight. Bummed.
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Posted: 9/23/2016 3:54:27 PM EDT
[#42]
Meanwhile at Vostochny
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Posted: 10/3/2016 3:10:53 AM EDT
[#43]
I thought I had posted in this thread, but it may have been a similar/related thread...
but I had questions/proposed that maybe the explosion was 'insurance fraud' seems that they're looking into something "intentional" Sabotage Suggested In SpaceX Explosion
By Russ Niles An element of intrigue has been added to the investigation of the explosion of SpaceX rocket on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral last month. The Washington Post, quoting unnamed sources, says SpaceX is investigating the possibility of sabotage in the mishap, which destroyed the rocket and its payload, an internet-beaming satellite being deployed by Facebook. According to the story, SpaceX sent investigators to a building owned by competitor United Launch Alliance about a mile from the launch pad because it noted something odd on the roof of the building in still images taken from video shot at the time of the blast. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has also spoken about the investigation taking some strange turns, particularly where it concerns a mysterious noise heard just before the rocket blows up. “Particularly trying to understand the quieter bang sound a few seconds before the fireball goes off,” he wrote on Twitter. “May come from rocket or something else.” So far, the investigation has determined that a breach in the helium system used to pressurize fuel being loaded on the rocket caused the blast but they can’t figure out what caused the breach. “We’ve eliminated all of the obvious possibilities for what occurred there,” he told a conference in Mexico. “So what remains are the less probable answers.” SpaceX then issued a statement that seemed to further confirm the conspiracy line. “The Accident Investigation Team has an obligation to consider all possible causes of the anomaly, and we aren’t commenting on any specific potential cause until the investigation is complete,” the statement read. The Air Force is helping the investigation, which is led by SpaceX, but is also not commenting. United Launch Alliance used to have a monopoly on launches for the Air Force but SpaceX earned the right to compete for that business with a 2014 lawsuit against the Air Force. |
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