This is an interesting announcement, in the context of Elon’s Mars speech next week in Guadalajara:
At this stage of the investigation, preliminary review of the data and debris suggests that a large breach in the cryogenic helium system of the second stage liquid oxygen tank took place. All plausible causes are being tracked in an extensive fault tree and carefully investigated. Through the fault tree and data review process, we have exonerated any connection with last year’s CRS-7 mishap.
Makes sense, but still doesn’t sound like they’ve gotten to the root cause.
What we need to know before we send people there. And they don’t even discuss the gravity issue.
[Update a few minutes later]
Eric Berger says that Elon is between a rocket and a hard place. I don’t think that taxpayer money should to go build giant rockets, whether by SpaceX or Boeing.
…through formal software verification. This seems like sort of a big deal. Particularly in the era of the Internet of Things and self-driving cars. Of course, the weakest link in security will remain the flawed unit between the seat and the keyboard.
An interesting article, from my local paper, about the renaissance of aerospace in southern California in general and the South Bay in particular. Not sure Interorbital should be included in the list, though.
If I were Chris Carberry, I’d be outraged at this, instead of promoting it. None of those people or companies are going to get anyone to Mars. But they’ll spend billions pretending they will.
I just received a review copy of this new book, which looks quite interesting, given that I personally know almost everyone involved, for decades (though I don’t make an appearance). Should be a good history of SEDS, ISU, and the X-Prize.
There was a launch scheduled out of Vandenberg yesterday at 11:30 AM, and I’d planned to go to the beach to watch, until I remembered my 10:30 dental appointment. So I ended up being in the chair at the time, a little frustrated that I couldn’t at least get up for a couple minutes to go out into the parking lot to see it. But unfortunately for ULA, but fortunately for me, it was scrubbed, due to a hydrogen leak. So I, and others currently in southern California, will get another chance on Sunday morning.
[Sunday-morning update]
Wow, this launch seems snakebit. A wildfire on the base has delayed the launch until at least the 26th.
, which looks quite interesting, given that I personally know almost everyone involved, for decades (though I don’t make an appearance). Should be a good history of SEDS, ISU, and the X-Prize.