Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Fri 05/30/2025 View Thu 05/29/2025 View Wed 05/28/2025 View Tue 05/27/2025 View Mon 05/26/2025 View Sun 05/25/2025 View Sat 05/24/2025
2019-11-21 Science & Technology
SpaceX MK-1 EXPLODES while being pressure tested


From the Facebook SpaceX Boca Chica group, the Moderator reports:
RUPTURE UPDATE:
Through back channels it has been revealed that MK1 suffered an accidental overpressure to failure. Fuel and oxidizer would typically be loaded to 3 Bar or 43.5 psi~ for densification purposes and flightworthy tanks may be tested to 1.5-2x that value for single time structural proofing. In the case of what happened today the story is that communications errors between the pumps/sensors and remote controls allowed the tanks to be massively and erroneously overpressured to the point of failure, leading to catastrophic rupture.

We expect SpaceX in good time to reveal the details, they may explain it was deliberate as big changes in airframe and control surfaces in the succeeding MK series variants are coming.
Posted by 3dc 2019-11-21 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11136 views ]  Top

#1 So was it RUD or RSD? :-)
Posted by gorb 2019-11-21 06:57||   2019-11-21 06:57|| Front Page Top

#2 And here, boys and girls, we have an example of why it is NOT a good idea to cut testing time to meet an unrealistic implementation date.
Posted by AlanC 2019-11-21 07:40||   2019-11-21 07:40|| Front Page Top

#3 It does appear the body stayed in one piece.
Posted by Procopius2k 2019-11-21 08:27||   2019-11-21 08:27|| Front Page Top

#4 
Posted by Bright Pebbles 2019-11-21 08:38||   2019-11-21 08:38|| Front Page Top

#5 Beeg, bada boom!
Posted by Skidmark 2019-11-21 09:49||   2019-11-21 09:49|| Front Page Top

#6 "Hey Bob, close that red valve over there!"
"Hang on a sec. I'm nuking my soup."
*BOOM*
"Please tell me that was the microwave..."
Posted by SteveS 2019-11-21 09:51||   2019-11-21 09:51|| Front Page Top

#7 Desaparecido en la boca [de la] chica? Qual chica?
Posted by Lex 2019-11-21 10:08||   2019-11-21 10:08|| Front Page Top

#8 This is why you test.
Posted by Iblis 2019-11-21 12:25||   2019-11-21 12:25|| Front Page Top

#9 They didn't have one of those little jiggly weight things like I have on my pressure cooker?
Posted by Glenmore 2019-11-21 13:20||   2019-11-21 13:20|| Front Page Top

#10 today the story is that communications errors between the pumps/sensors and remote controls

Outsourcing without conversion normalization, imperial and metric. I've seen it a few times.

Mars Probe Lost Due to Simple Math Error
Posted by Skidmark 2019-11-21 13:50||   2019-11-21 13:50|| Front Page Top

#11 "I said pascals!!"

"What's a pascal?"
Posted by KBK 2019-11-21 22:19||   2019-11-21 22:19|| Front Page Top

10:01 Old Patriot
10:00 NN2N1
09:58 EMS Artifact
09:55 EMS Artifact
09:48 Besoeker
09:43 magpie
09:35 Frank G
09:32 Mercutio
09:24 SteveS
09:09 Elmomoter Mussolini9149
09:03 Skidmark
08:53 Gleng Whaick2262
08:37 ed in texas
08:30 Besoeker
08:12 Procopius2k
08:10 Procopius2k
07:54 Grom the Affective
06:54 Richard Aubrey
06:49 MikeKozlowski
06:48 MikeKozlowski
06:46 Richard Aubrey
06:46 MikeKozlowski
06:44 Richard Aubrey
06:34 NN2N1









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com