this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2024
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Spaceflight

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[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 40 points 1 month ago (2 children)

You'd think making a big clamp is easier than making a rocket...

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 69 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They're rocket scientists, not clamp scientists.

[–] Morphit@feddit.uk 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It'd be easier to train clamp scientists to static fire than to train rocket scientists to clamp.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Are you trying to clamp an asteroid?

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

We can pretty much assume whatever needs clamping’s less than 28” thick.

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There's a reason management courses all insist that you focus on your core competency.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Next time maybe they’ll shell out for The Clamp

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 26 points 1 month ago (3 children)

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?

[–] ValenThyme@reddthat.com 37 points 1 month ago (2 children)

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.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Technically speaking it was low-G. None of Joachim Phoenix’s movies are strictly “zero-G”

[–] Jumuta@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ValenThyme@reddthat.com 1 points 1 month ago

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat

[–] nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago

In surprised a failure like that led to it being launched straight up like that.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago

It means the rocket was just too good for those clamps

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Bruh why the fuck are they doing this in the suburbs

[–] teft@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Brunbrun6766@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Wouldn't be the first time. China drops debris and rocket stages on populated areas all the time

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And rocket fuel, which isn't great for pretty much anything alive.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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.

[–] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

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.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 13 points 1 month ago

China is a very small country, obviously.

[–] Jayve@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

CNSA would be "Temu NASA".

Space Pioneer is more like "Temu SpaceX". Their aforementioned Tianlong-3 rocket is pretty much a Falcon 9 clone.

[–] sudo42@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago (2 children)

"No casualties were found."

Nice.

On the positive side, they really stuck the landing.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

None died or none was found?

[–] kakito69@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

Everyone died and the bodies were not found (they exploded)

[–] sudo42@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Or none were looked for. Coverups are easier when you ignore the evidence.

[–] Snoopey@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

To shreds you say...

[–] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Sorry, my bad. I forgot a zip tie.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Why are we using zip ties as hold-down clamps in the first place?

[–] Krackalot@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Because we couldn't find our duct tape.

Ah yes, the handyman's secret weapon...

[–] nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

Okay someone do the math on how many zipties it would take to hold down a Saturn 5 rocket.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 18 points 1 month ago

Static fire quickly became dynamic one

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 14 points 1 month ago

Task failed successfully.

[–] Morphit@feddit.uk 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Wow, that was fast, even for Scott!

[–] similideano@sopuli.xyz 12 points 1 month ago

They need more struts!

[–] ArtVandelay@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

"I believe it's time for me to flyyyyy"

[–] Coasting0942@reddthat.com 8 points 1 month ago

I’m happy nobody was hurt. Keep trying kerbalnaughts!

[–] fixerdude2@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] uis@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago

Their rockets fly even when you try to not let them fly.

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 5 points 1 month ago

"unintended launch" lol

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

You'd figure that would have learned from Boeing and used a whole shitload of fasteners..

[–] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Never Mind that. Look at all those mini-splits.

Drone footage of the incident has surfaced: https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1808378644949094742

Neat angle we haven't seen before.