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Author | Message |
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Sirius B Send message Joined: 26 Dec 00 Posts: 24877 Credit: 3,081,182 RAC: 7 |
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Bob DeWoody Send message Joined: 9 May 10 Posts: 3387 Credit: 4,182,900 RAC: 10 |
Even after all the years of success rockets are still dangerous. Bob DeWoody My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events. |
betreger Send message Joined: 29 Jun 99 Posts: 11360 Credit: 29,581,041 RAC: 66 |
Very bad news but it was very spectacular. |
cov_route Send message Joined: 13 Sep 12 Posts: 342 Credit: 10,270,618 RAC: 0 |
Seems like something happened in the area of the main engines. Looks like there was a fire there, seems like something near the engines exploded, and thrust was lost. It settled back near the pad and blew up on impact. Not saying it was the main engines but something was going on in that zone. The main engines are Russian NK-33's originally built for the Soviet N-1 moon program. They have been in storage for 30 or 40 years. The NK-33's are derivatives of the NK-15's that kept kept exploding on the N-1. Specifically the oxidizer pumps and plumbing. The plumbing is of course all different on the Antares. But it's an eerie echo of the N-1. If Nikolay Kuznetsov was still alive he'd be letting out a big sigh. |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30608 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
Seems like something happened in the area of the main engines. Looks like there was a fire there, seems like something near the engines exploded, and thrust was lost. It settled back near the pad and blew up on impact. Not saying it was the main engines but something was going on in that zone. Watching the video, something happens at about 1.5 seconds after main engine start, before liftoff. It looks like a small explosion. I don't think is was a pyro firing to release something for flight as it looks far too big. I'm guessing a leak of some kind with the vapor flashing. Yes, something nasty happened after a few seconds of flight. You can see how the flame changed from blue to orange. Almost looks like the oxidizer failed as the fire grows looking like the flame is trying to burn on the atmospheres oxygen. Obviously thrust fails and the rocket falls back along its flight path with a very reduced fire, almost like broken plumbing. Obviously when it hits the fuel tank splits open and we get the fireball and the second stage is ignited in the fireball. I'm sure the what was captured in the telemetry. The why will be a lot harder to coax out. |
Julie Send message Joined: 28 Oct 09 Posts: 34041 Credit: 18,883,157 RAC: 18 |
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Wiggo Send message Joined: 24 Jan 00 Posts: 34744 Credit: 261,360,520 RAC: 489 |
Even modern Russian rocket engine designs have a bad habit of blowing up so why use a design that dates back to the 1960's? http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/russian-engines-from-the-1960s-may-have-caused-antares-explosion/story-fnjwlcze-1227106766686 Even before Tuesday’s failure, Orbital Sciences had been reviewing alternatives to the Russian-made engines, Thompson said. The company recently had selected a different main propulsion system for use in a couple of years, and the switch may be accelerated if the Russian engines prove to be the culprit, he said. Cheers. |
betreger Send message Joined: 29 Jun 99 Posts: 11360 Credit: 29,581,041 RAC: 66 |
Tuesday’s flight was insured. I wonder what the premium was for the insurance. |
Wiggo Send message Joined: 24 Jan 00 Posts: 34744 Credit: 261,360,520 RAC: 489 |
Tuesday’s flight was insured. I bet that it's taken a huge increase for future flights using those engines. Cheers. |
betreger Send message Joined: 29 Jun 99 Posts: 11360 Credit: 29,581,041 RAC: 66 |
I bet that it's taken a huge increase for future flights using those engines. Good guess. |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30608 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
I heard trough the grapevine it is usually 50% of the payload value. |
cov_route Send message Joined: 13 Sep 12 Posts: 342 Credit: 10,270,618 RAC: 0 |
They could use an escape tower to save the payload when an unmanned rocket fails. I wonder if it would make economic sense. |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30608 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
They could use an escape tower to save the payload when an unmanned rocket fails. I wonder if it would make economic sense. Yes, no. Not the way the payload is sent up inside a faring. |
Darth Beaver Send message Joined: 20 Aug 99 Posts: 6728 Credit: 21,443,075 RAC: 3 |
Don't ya just love Capitalism , lets contract the work out , says some boffin some where's . The Russians have a sale on for there rocket Engines let's get them from the Russians and save a heap of money , says another boffin . 5..4..3..2..1..lift off ................um Everyone stay in your places there seems to be a problem BOOOOOOOM !! Capitalism wonderful... |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 30608 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
“I guess the question I'm asked the most often is: "When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?" Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts -- all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.†― John Glenn |
Bob DeWoody Send message Joined: 9 May 10 Posts: 3387 Credit: 4,182,900 RAC: 10 |
The russians must be laughing all the way to the bank. The USA decides to terminate the shuttle program before a replacement is ready to fly, so we hitch rides on russian capsules at great expense and then, one of the "private" companies in an attempt to take a shortcut buys old unused russian rocket motors from a failed program. Bob DeWoody My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events. |
tullio Send message Joined: 9 Apr 04 Posts: 8797 Credit: 2,930,782 RAC: 1 |
A Russian Progress cargo has just docked to the ISS. On November 23 a Soyuz rocket should ferry to the ISS a crew of three,an American, a Russian, and our Samantha Cristoforetti, ESA astronaut. Tullio |
tullio Send message Joined: 9 Apr 04 Posts: 8797 Credit: 2,930,782 RAC: 1 |
NASA is building a new heavy launcher (the Space Launch System) and a new spacecraft. Orion. This will make its test flight on December 4,atop a Delta IV heavy launcher. Tullio |
William Rothamel Send message Joined: 25 Oct 06 Posts: 3756 Credit: 1,999,735 RAC: 4 |
The only reason that Kennedy wanted to be first on the moon was to score a political point against the Kremlin during the Cold war. Though I am not an overall fan of the Kennedy Clan, I will postulate that JFK was probably smart enough to realize that such an endeavor would move all technology (not just military) forward to the benefit of the United States and ultimately, everyone else. |
Sirius B Send message Joined: 26 Dec 00 Posts: 24877 Credit: 3,081,182 RAC: 7 |
As you constantly keep reminding us of history, you got that one wrong. Russia got there first with Sputnik which only spurred the Yanks to do what they did. As for PR, it was a coup for the Russians. |
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