SpaceX Launches World's Largest Rocket

[jcgriff2]

The inaugural flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket lifted off successfully and accelerated rapidly (KM/H speedometer - lower left of screen) while flying at twice the thrust of NASA's Apollo Saturn V moonshot rockets. Starship reaches a speed of approximately Mach 2 at T+00:01:45 and continues accelerating.

At T+00:04:00 the rocket experienced a "RUD" (Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly), better known as an explosion, ending the first developmental test flight.

SpaceX launches world's largest rocket | Fox News Video

Launch close-up video - BOCA CHICA, TEXAS - Stunning video shows SpaceX Starship launch obliterate car and tree: Watch what happened | Fox News Video

John

 

[Gary R]

Dramatic, but probably not exactly unexpected. I seem to remember that earlier rockets developed by NASA experienced a fair number of failures as well.

As the old saying goes .... you learn more from your failures than you ever do from your successes .... so let's hope that's the case here.

 

[A Guy]

A Guy

 

[Digerati]

It irritates me that they "spin" the results of this launch claiming it was a success. To me, it was a dismal failure.

Okay, it cleared the launch pad. Does that really mean the mission was a success? Not to me. If that was the goal, that should have been the stated goal.

The first stage was supposed to separate. It didn't. The first stage was then supposed to return back to Earth intact. It didn't. The second stage was supposed to demonstrate it could fire up its engines a few seconds after separation, ascend into space and deliver a payload into Earth orbit. It didn't. None of that happened, or even demonstrated it could happen.

To me, at the very least, in order to declare this mission successful, the system should have detected a malfunction and shutdown the engines BEFORE the entire rocket (first and second stages) were obliterated.

Yes, no doubts much will be learned from this and that certainly is a good thing. But what's wrong with saying much can be learn from this "failure"? Isn't "learning from our failures" a natural part of learning and growing and improving?

I say, "Man up!" Admit it did not go as planned and that it was not a success.

 

[Corday]

I agree with Bill.

 

[jcgriff2]

Obviously not exactly a resounding success, but it was the very 1st launch, and valuable data was gathered to be studied for the next try.

At least it flew for several minutes and did not blow up on the launch pad - and no one died or was injured.

Anyone remember the story from the Soviet Union during the space race when an absolute idiot USSR General in an attempt to show his complete confidence in "Soviet Rocket Technology" that he had ~100 chairs brought out of the safety zone (not so sure the USSR ever had any of those) and placed way too close to a new Soviet Rocket design they were about to test-launch? Not the brightest of ideas.

Of course, the huge Soviet moon rocket blew up on the launch pad turning the general and all other high-ranking Soviet military officers and scientists that joined him into instant 'crispy critters'?

It's on YouTube somewhere.

 

[xrobwx71]

Watch the video, The staff were cheering as it exploded. Why? Data.