You'd think making a big clamp is easier than making a rocket...
this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2024
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They're rocket scientists, not clamp scientists.
It'd be easier to train clamp scientists to static fire than to train rocket scientists to clamp.
Are you trying to clamp an asteroid?
We can pretty much assume whatever needs clamping’s less than 28” thick.
There's a reason management courses all insist that you focus on your core competency.
Next time maybe they’ll shell out for The Clamp
Wow, that's wild!
Space Pioneer issued its own statement later, stating there was a structural failure at the connection between the rocket body and the test bench.
Sounds like the hold-down clamps failed. Have there been any previous cases in history where static fires unexpectedly turned into non-static fires?
well there was that incident in '86 when the shuttle Atlantis was 'accidentally' launched with 4 kids aboard during an engine test. The documentary about it called Space Camp is riveting.
Few people know that one of those kids was now famous actor, Joaquin Phoenix. I watched that documentary many times and was shock to find out that people speak in a type of slow motion when in zero G.
Technically speaking it was low-G. None of Joachim Phoenix’s movies are strictly “zero-G”
it's fiction lmao
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat
In surprised a failure like that led to it being launched straight up like that.
It means the rocket was just too good for those clamps
Bruh why the fuck are they doing this in the suburbs
I was thinking the same thing. You can kind of figure out the distance from the time the rocket disappears behind the cloud/hill to the time you hear the explosion in the second video. The rocket disappears at 41 seconds and the explosion is heard at 49.5 seconds. Even if the rocket had hit the ground as soon as it disappeared from sight we're talking 2-3 kilometers away.
Even if the rocket had hit the ground as soon as it disappeared from sight we’re talking 2-3 kilometers away.
That seems uncomfortably close, especially given this statement:
The rocket’s onboard computer automatically shut down the engines and the rocket fell 1.5 kilometers southwest.
I assume they mean 1.5 km from the test stand? If the rocket had flown a bit further, or in a different direction, it could have fallen in what looks to be a rather densely populated area.
Wouldn't be the first time. China drops debris and rocket stages on populated areas all the time
And rocket fuel, which isn't great for pretty much anything alive.
rocket fuel, which isn't great for pretty much anything alive
Depends on the rocket fuel.
- Methalox: Harmless gases. Methane is a greenhouse gas, but it's not toxic. Basically like a bunch of cows burping.
- Kerolox: Kerosene is an oily liquid, so not great for the environment, but not highly toxic.
- Hypergolics: Hydrazine derivatives and nitrogen tetroxide are both highly toxic.
The Tianlong-3 in this article uses kerolox. The Long March 2C booster which fell near a village last week uses hypergols.
Yeah, primarily hypergolics are the fun ones. I didn't hear about the booster that fell near a village recently, but there was one that I think had an emergency dump over some village or town a few years ago.
China is a very small country, obviously.
Temu NASA.
CNSA would be "Temu NASA".
Space Pioneer is more like "Temu SpaceX". Their aforementioned Tianlong-3 rocket is pretty much a Falcon 9 clone.
"No casualties were found."
Nice.
On the positive side, they really stuck the landing.
None died or none was found?
Everyone died and the bodies were not found (they exploded)
Or none were looked for. Coverups are easier when you ignore the evidence.
To shreds you say...
Sorry, my bad. I forgot a zip tie.
Why are we using zip ties as hold-down clamps in the first place?
Because we couldn't find our duct tape.
Ah yes, the handyman's secret weapon...
Okay someone do the math on how many zipties it would take to hold down a Saturn 5 rocket.
Static fire quickly became dynamic one
Task failed successfully.
They need more struts!
"I believe it's time for me to flyyyyy"
I’m happy nobody was hurt. Keep trying kerbalnaughts!
Made in China.
Their rockets fly even when you try to not let them fly.
"unintended launch" lol
Never Mind that. Look at all those mini-splits.
You'd figure that would have learned from Boeing and used a whole shitload of fasteners..
Drone footage of the incident has surfaced: https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1808378644949094742
Neat angle we haven't seen before.