Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Point out news stories, on the net or in mainstream media, related to polywell fusion.

Moderators: tonybarry, MSimon

jcoady
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:36 pm

Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by jcoady »


jcoady
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:36 pm

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by jcoady »

Here is a youtube video of launch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYsVqayNSZE

mvanwink5
Posts: 2143
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:07 am
Location: N.C. Mountains

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by mvanwink5 »

Yes, so sorry for Antares and support. Rockets are amazing when they work, the power delivered by the rocket motors is like riding a controlled bomb, so when there is a failure, well... it is a horrible but dazzling spectacle.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

Betruger
Posts: 2321
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 11:54 am

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by Betruger »

What a disappointment.. Was anxious to see how the Arkyd prototypes went.
You can do anything you want with laws except make Americans obey them. | What I want to do is to look up S. . . . I call him the Schadenfreudean Man.

ohiovr
Posts: 431
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:36 pm
Contact:

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by ohiovr »


AcesHigh
Posts: 655
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:59 am

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by AcesHigh »

well... that's what happens when you use rocket engines built in the 60s and stored for 40 years in Siberia.

no wonder Elon Musk was already mocking Orbital Science's approach in his Wired Mag interview back in 2012... saying it was like a punchline of a joke.

GIThruster
Posts: 4686
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by GIThruster »

IIRC, Orbital Sciences originally planned to use decommissioned ICBM's for launch but that wouldn't work so they went to this. I think they've been stumbling about for a long time now and I'll be surprised if they recover from this. It is very late in the game for this kind of mishap.

Looked like the rocket motor failed to me. So what do you say to the Russians about a $50 Million "ooops!"?
"Courage is not just a virtue, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." C. S. Lewis

mvanwink5
Posts: 2143
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:07 am
Location: N.C. Mountains

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by mvanwink5 »

I thought it was standard to have launch insurance. If you can't afford to fail, hedge.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

Skipjack
Posts: 6805
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:29 pm

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by Skipjack »

mvanwink5 wrote:I thought it was standard to have launch insurance. If you can't afford to fail, hedge.
Yepp, there is launch insurance. I think the biggest issue arising from this for Orbital could be that the Antares could be grounded for a lengthy time until the investigation into the cause is over. There is also significant damage to their pad, from what I could see. It is a good thing that NASA chose to have two completely different competitors provide the CRS service. That means that SpaceX can take over some of the resupply until Orbital is back on track and the ISS is not left to rely on the Russians alone.
This is the same reason why NASA insists on having two completely different commercial crew providers, even though congress resists it and does not want to fund it. If an accident like this happened on a crewed transport, US astronauts could be grounded for months, if not years. With two (or more) providers, another one can step in.

mvanwink5
Posts: 2143
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:07 am
Location: N.C. Mountains

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by mvanwink5 »

I am waiting for the barge landing. :D
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

Skipjack
Posts: 6805
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:29 pm

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by Skipjack »

mvanwink5 wrote:I am waiting for the barge landing. :D
Yeah, that will be in December, if the barge is ready by then. Mind you that Musk gives it a 50:50 chance to succeed at the first try. The barge is a much smaller target than a landing pad on land, plus it will be moving slightly, so this should be interesting.

GIThruster
Posts: 4686
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by GIThruster »

Skipjack wrote:
mvanwink5 wrote:I thought it was standard to have launch insurance. If you can't afford to fail, hedge.
Yepp, there is launch insurance. I think the biggest issue arising from this for Orbital could be that the Antares could be grounded for a lengthy time until the investigation into the cause is over. There is also significant damage to their pad, from what I could see. It is a good thing that NASA chose to have two completely different competitors provide the CRS service. That means that SpaceX can take over some of the resupply until Orbital is back on track and the ISS is not left to rely on the Russians alone.
This is the same reason why NASA insists on having two completely different commercial crew providers, even though congress resists it and does not want to fund it. If an accident like this happened on a crewed transport, US astronauts could be grounded for months, if not years. With two (or more) providers, another one can step in.
I think the bigger issue is, who is going to want to pony up for future flights on Antares with this sort of problem so late? I think their market share just ended. Its not as if they have a dozen successful flights to point to--this was the 5th launch. Even those who have early, cheap contracts can likely get out of them now and move to Falcon. I would not want to be their accountant right now.

I hope they survive this, but this is a major setback. It's not like if a nation blows something up. Nations don't have a bottom line to worry about.
"Courage is not just a virtue, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." C. S. Lewis

krenshala
Posts: 914
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:20 pm
Location: Austin, TX, NorAm, Sol III

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by krenshala »

I haven't seen anything concrete, but I read that there was a change to one of the stages that made it heavier, which may have contributed to the failure. I haven't seen more about that, however, so I'm not sure how accurate that is.

DeltaV
Posts: 2245
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:05 am

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by DeltaV »

Da! Is good to have American geniuses willink to use Russian NK-33 engines for supply launchink to ISS.

Is also good to have American geniuses usink Russian RD-180 engines for launchink of expensive spy satellites.

Muwaahhahhahhhaahhhhahhhhaaa!

GIThruster
Posts: 4686
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 8:17 pm

Re: Orbital Sciences rocket explodes on launch

Post by GIThruster »

That's an interesting question--what outcome here might affect ULA's purchase of old Russian engines and the deal that SpaceX has challenged in court?
"Courage is not just a virtue, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." C. S. Lewis

Post Reply