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The programs you listed with 4 failures launched 164 times including test flights. Falcon 9 has provided 127 successful missions and 1 failure. On visits to th
by elif 5y ago
The programs you listed with 4 failures launched 164 times including test flights. Falcon 9 has provided 127 successful missions and 1 failure.
On visits to the ISS it's 37 vs 25.
If you look at the ratio of non-human flights to human flights SpaceX is far more conservative of human life.
- ortusdux 5y agoAlso, the 1 failure was during a pre-flight static test fire. If it had been a crewed flight, the crew would not have boarded at that point. It's considered a failure because they test fired the rocked with the payload attached, resulting in its destruction. They have since stopped performing this test with the payload attached.
- croddin 5y agoThe 1 failure in those numbers is actually CRS-7, not Amos-6. If you count Amos-6 there have been 2 failures but as you pointed out crew wouldn’t have been on board and they don’t static fire with payload anymore. Also for CRS-7 the dragon survived and would have been fine if the parachutes had been programmed to deploy in that situation. Either way there have been a lot of improvements and ~100 successful launches since either of those.
- ortusdux 5y agoAhh, my mistake. This chart is very informative for those interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches#Launch_outcomes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_He...
- Fatnino 5y agoAmos6 style explosiw would have been surviveable if there was crew on board because of the launch escape thrusters. See Soyuz T-10a
- oxplot 5y agoDon't forget that assuming a crew onboard Dragon, the launch escape system (LES) is engaged before propellant loading, so even if the tanks blow up, the capsule will escape the explosion and crew will be safe.
- dotancohen 5y ago> If it had been a crewed flight, the crew would not > have boarded at that point. SpaceX is unique in the field of human spaceflight in that they fuel the manned vehicles with the airmen already on board. It took quite some convincing to get NASA to allow this on NASA flights. The advantages are that if there is a problem before the astronauts are strapped in, firing the LES on a loaded rocket will seriously hurt the astronauts and ground crew. Also, with less time between propellant loading and launch, denser, super chilled propellants can be used. This provides significant margins for boostback and recovery of the first stage boosters.