Orbital CRS-3 Rocket explodes t+6 seconds

[Platapus]

http://blogs.nasa.gov/orbital/

No loss of life but reported considerable damage to launch pad area.

Antares rocket suffered catastrophic failure six second after launch from Wallops Island, VA.

Launch was tonight at 18:22 East time.

[Skybird]

Was that that new capsule that is meant to supply the ISS and bring the US back into manned space flight, or was it something different?

[Skybird]

No need top reply, it is Cygnus. German news now also covers it.

[Onkel Neal]

Our backward march continues... hey, Russia, can you help us with our rockets? We don't have any more German scientists from WWII.

[Dread Knot]

Our backward march continues... hey, Russia, can you help us with our rockets? We don't have any more German scientists from WWII.

Well...Russia could be part of the problem. As far as I understand it, these rocket engines being used in Cygnus are old refurbished engines from the Soviet N1 moon rocket program.

They have had some issues with failures during testing in the past. One for example determined to be caused by "kerosene fuel leak in engine manifold due to stress corrosion cracking of the 40 year old metal". Here's a Popular Mechanics article if you want to read more.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/rockets/orbital-sciences-preps-for-iss-launch-14991680

[Skybird]

Chinese chips in American hightech weapons.

Russian engines in American space rockets.

What's next? Northkorean burgers at McDonalds?

[TorpX]

Our backward march continues... hey, Russia, can you help us with our rockets? We don't have any more German scientists from WWII.

We better stock up on candles, for when the grid goes down.

[Dread Knot]

Chinese chips in American hightech weapons.

Russian engines in American space rockets.

What's next? Northkorean burgers at McDonalds?



http://i.qkme.me/3oqotj.jpg

[magicstix]

I had thought about getting a job at Orbital Sciences... Now I'm not so sure...

In any case, Elon Musk is no doubt stroking his white persian cat and grinning maniacally.

[Armistead]

Yea, set up here on the Va border hoping to see a rocket launch....

[ikalugin]

The way I understand the company has decided to produce their own engine, rather buy old stocks of Soviet NK33s or new Russian RD180 series engines.

Plus they have outsourced some work on the first stage to the Southern Design Bureau in Ukraine.

[ikalugin]

Correction, it appears that booster in question was using an Ukrainian/American modified Soviet NK33 engine.

[Jimbuna]

Chinese chips in American hightech weapons.

Russian engines in American space rockets.

What's next? Northkorean burgers at McDonalds?

Could well be.

My understanding is that refurbished Russian engines were used.

[ikalugin]

Yes, old (1970s Soviet Lunar program) NK33 engines refurbished by Ukrainian Yuzhnoye Design Bureau to the Air Jet 26 standard.

[Gargamel]

I think we can just be glad it wasn't a manned mission. It's a huge step backwards for commercial space travel, but only a step.

[eddie]

Our backward march continues... hey, Russia, can you help us with our rockets? We don't have any more German scientists from WWII.

Check out NASA's record with rockets back in the day, seems like every other one blew up on the pad! These are new companies getting into rocket design, and it appears they are taking short cuts that aren't working out real well. But we have had plenty of Atlas and Titan rockets do the same thing sadly.

[Aktungbby]

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ae18a3d12576987dff2adf531b1e69dc843100e9/c=178-0-1032-642&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/WVEC/None/2014/10/29/635501809320599482-nasa-rocket-explosion-viewervideo-image6.JPGhttp://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/c63247da344d8406942ba1cef7b88656bfe02f26/c=205-0-968-574&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/WVEC/None/2014/10/29/635501809313899348-nasa-rocket-explosion-viewervideo-image2.JPG

[Oberon]

Our backward march continues... hey, Russia, can you help us with our rockets? We don't have any more German scientists from WWII.

Because German rockets were that reliable:

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18lfbcyj04oe5jpg/ku-xlarge.jpg

Still, at least no-one was killed in this incident, and there'll be others...no new rocket is problem-free...the amount of times the Titan blew up during launch, but it became the most relied and trusted launch vehicle in the US arsenal, likewise NASA.

I think my favourite explosion was the Delta II in 1997, a ruptured SRM casing set off the auto-destruct thirteen seconds after launch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_aHEit-SqA

Until we build a space elevator, or some form of mass driver then we're stuck with the old and inefficient solid-fuel propellant devices and the costs involved with them. It's all rather short-sighted...but humanity is, really, otherwise we'd have globalised the space program by now and actually be making strides to get an off-planet facility working.

http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/humans-ancient-aliens-guy.jpg

EDIT: Oh...almost forgot my second favourite rocket fail, the Zenit 3SL, which managed to melt the launchpad underneath it and fall into the sea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7wBN-U2KXI

[Aktungbby]

Perhaps necessity will speed up the mother of invention! just to stay a step ahead of the tribulation!!:oops:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Ebola_virus_virion.jpg/1920px-Ebola_virus_virion.jpg

[Oberon]

I dunno...I think the answer might just fall on us one day...

https://33.media.tumblr.com/f502db0cb9dba6dc0225f2afebc75ccf/tumblr_mi92okUjUD1rzkyaxo1_400.gif

[Aktungbby]

http://lowres.cartoonstock.com/animals-dinosaur-thesaurus-words-spells-meteor-shl080602_low.jpg or...http://lowres.cartoonstock.com/environmental-issues-humanity-humans-asteroids-side_effects-side_effects-bwhn586_low.jpg :woot:

[NeonSamurai]

The simple fact is that rocket launch failures happen, even with generally well rated engines, and there are always kinks when it comes to designing and using a new launcher, such as unanticipated pogo effects or problems with the piping. Considering it had 3 prior successful missions in space, it is doing pretty good (the Falcon-1 for example had 3 failures to 2 successes)

As for the NK-33. They are generally considered to be a very good engine design with great specific impulse. They themselves were not the reason why the N-1 project was such a colossal failure, it had to do with the clustered design.

[Platapus]

I had thought about getting a job at Orbital Sciences... Now I'm not so sure...

You would really base an employment decision based on this one incident?

Orbital is quite successful in most of the stuff they are doing. If I wanted to get into the purely civilian market, Orbital would be one of the first I would send my resume to.

[Rockstar]

I hate to break the news to everyone but we really need to get these astronauts resupplied soon. This set back could lead to a major international incident if they start battling over the last roll of toilet paper.

[Platapus]

I hate to break the news to everyone but we really need to get these astronauts resupplied soon. This set back could lead to a major international incident if they start battling over the last roll of toilet paper.

Fortunately, they have plenty up there to last them.