I actually can’t believe how much of a joke that launch pad is… and they can’t even dig down because the water table is there. Scott Manley, as always, covers it well:
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The Washington Post crapping on Elon/SpaceX... shocking.
I don't think it was a disaster, it was very much consistent with everything that's happened with SpaceX to date. Try it, learn from what failed and what succeeded, improve and move on to the next iteration.
I don't think anyone thought after the 33 engine static fire, that the launch pad would be ripped apart the way it was. But there is a reason they clear the area out, so incase hits the fan, people don't get hurt.
The article doesn't seem to be crapping on them at all, it just reports what happened. SpaceX thought the pad could withstand at least one launch before they got their steel plate solution in place, and they guessed wrong and there was debris in a huge area as a result.
The Post article certainly doesn't call it a disaster.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
The Washington Post crapping on Elon/SpaceX... shocking.
I don't think it was a disaster, it was very much consistent with everything that's happened with SpaceX to date. Try it, learn from what failed and what succeeded, improve and move on to the next iteration.
I don't think anyone thought after the 33 engine static fire, that the launch pad would be ripped apart the way it was. But there is a reason they clear the area out, so incase hits the fan, people don't get hurt.
Posted it due to the video. Are you trying to say the video of what happened, and huge debris field, is biased reporting?
Wouldn’t want to be one of the astronauts tabbed to be on the next SpaceX launch.
Here's a video with lots of high res images from the area, pretty interesting. While there's lots of debris and dents and dings nothing looks irreparably damaged other than the launch ring tower thing looks really rough.
Is a water cooled steel plate really going to work? But I read that part of the reason they aren't doing a flame diverter is the water table is really high there.. and if wanted to use a diverter they'd need to build higher then the they'd have to do a bunch of work on the tower too.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
The fact that the termination system didn't work until 40 seconds later is the biggest thing they'll have to address.
I am glad that has been addressed. It was my primary thought as the rocket tumbled for quite some time seemingly totally out of control... the boom button has to work better. Or else it gets super dangerous to be anywhere underneath.
hits the fan, people don't get hurt.
