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Some thoughts on the initial images from /r/spacex (great community): 1. The orange smoke [1] is the color of Nitrogen Tetroxide, which is the hypergolic fuel

Some thoughts on the initial images from /r/spacex (great community): 1. The orange smoke [1] is the color of Nitrogen Tetroxide, which is the hypergolic fuel that Crew Dragon uses. The normal reaction in the Draco engines in the Crew Dragon is Nitrogen Tetroxide (N2O4) and methyl hydrazine (CH3(NH)NH2) [2] 2. The prior grey smoke might mean the engines were already firing for the test, which would rule out something like a tank loading error or something else with the ground crew. 3. Boeing had a hypergolics + Launch Escape System anomaly and it pushed their program schedule back 6 months. [3] 4. Eric Berger (Reporter for Ars Technica) indicating it may have been a serious incident. [4] /r/spacex thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/bfhm2c/on_april_20_an_anomaly_occurred_at_cape_canaveral/ https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/bfhm2c/on_april_20_... [1] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4oMNJmXsAAv_7B.jpg:orig https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4oMNJmXsAAv_7B.jpg:orig [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draco_(rocket_engine_family) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draco_(rocket_engine_family) [3] https://spacenews.com/boeings-starliner-launch-abort-engine-suffers-problem-during-testing/ https://spacenews.com/boeings-starliner-launch-abort-engine-... [4] https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1119730184544976897 https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1119730184544976897

yread 7y ago
From the Ars article > Boeing had intended to complete the test of its abort system last summer but has yet to reschedule the flight 10 months later, apparently due to complications from this accident. So it's probably more than 6 months
- trevyn 7y ago
  Are Boeing and SpaceX complication rescheduling timelines usually comparable? (Serious question)
  - alexnewman 7y ago
    Boeing is less homogenous than spacex, so it might make sense to reframe that question
  - sandworm101 7y ago
    Yes because they both work for the same customer (nasa) who will determine the type of process needed. When it comes to human spaceflight, nasa decides the pace of the investigation (number/nature of reports etc). They take accidents on the pad exectly as seriously as accidents in flight.
_Microft 7y ago
There's a video of it with an audible countdown and the anomaly occured at T-8.

yread 7y ago

From the Ars article > Boeing had intended to complete the test of its abort system last summer but has yet to reschedule the flight 10 months later, apparently due to complications from this accident. So it's probably more than 6 months

trevyn 7y ago
Are Boeing and SpaceX complication rescheduling timelines usually comparable? (Serious question)
- alexnewman 7y ago
  Boeing is less homogenous than spacex, so it might make sense to reframe that question
- sandworm101 7y ago
  Yes because they both work for the same customer (nasa) who will determine the type of process needed. When it comes to human spaceflight, nasa decides the pace of the investigation (number/nature of reports etc). They take accidents on the pad exectly as seriously as accidents in flight.

_Microft 7y ago

There's a video of it with an audible countdown and the anomaly occured at T-8.