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There's SpaceX, the launcher. There's RocketLab, the up-n-comer. There's Astra, sort of a launcher with all the wrong priorities. But there's also ... Pythom

There's SpaceX, the launcher. There's RocketLab, the up-n-comer. There's Astra, sort of a launcher with all the wrong priorities. But there's also ... Pythom ... which is really something else. https://vimeo.com/690376951 https://vimeo.com/690376951 https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/04/pythom-space-tests-its-rocket-with-questionable-safety-practices/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/04/pythom-space-tests-i...

jacquesm 5y ago
Wow, errr... words fail. Ok, it didn't explode. But my safety violations meter just broke the glass and the needle is embedded in the wall. I predict a Darwin award at some point of these people don't get with the program - several programs, in fact.
- huhtenberg 5y ago
  For me, it was the hoisting sequence that took the prize.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    Yes, same here. Just looking at the stresses on that front set of legs and the incredibly bad angle which they were pulling from (not to mention: the construction of that hoist) made me physically uncomfortable just watching it. Also: afterwards the legs appear to have bent quite a bit, and you have to wonder about what kind of stresses that put on the attachment points. At least they're lucky, you can't deny them that. What gets me though: they can design and build a rocket motor but get a whole pile of very basic stuff utterly wrong. How is that even possible?
- engineer_22 5y ago
  I thought to myself "Those folks have got more money than brains." Speaking of which. How are they funded?
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    Apparently they received $0.5M from a group calling themselves (very aptly) 'Space Cowboys': https://pythom.com/ps/Pythom-500k-Seed-Round-Closed-2020-03-10-39518 https://pythom.com/ps/Pythom-500k-Seed-Round-Closed-2020-03-...
QuadmasterXLII 5y ago
That's terrifying, but compelling. To zoom in on one feature: Back when I was a barely supervised teenage boy we tried that strategy of pulling a 20+ foot structure upright with a truck, and managed to limit injuries one participant getting a bad rope burn. It seemed sketchy even to us, I can't guess at the thought process that lead to a bunch of grown literal rocket scientists trying it. To be honest I'm jealous that they're still at it. You think they're hiring?
- jacquesm 5y ago
  > You think they're hiring? Think of the lawsuits...
trhway 5y ago
>Lasting about 2 minutes and 40 seconds, the video shows a number of instances in which Pythom employees appear to be handling the Eiger rocket and its hypergolic propellants (furfuryl alcohol and nitric acid) with less than industry-standard care. That reminded our ROTC training on handling SCUD missiles which also had nitric acid as oxidizer - even for training without actual fuel/oxidizer we had to don the protection suits :) Anyway, looking at those guys i think i definitely can go ahead with my SpaceX competitor rocket project.

jacquesm 5y ago

Wow, errr... words fail. Ok, it didn't explode. But my safety violations meter just broke the glass and the needle is embedded in the wall. I predict a Darwin award at some point of these people don't get with the program - several programs, in fact.

huhtenberg 5y ago
For me, it was the hoisting sequence that took the prize.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Yes, same here. Just looking at the stresses on that front set of legs and the incredibly bad angle which they were pulling from (not to mention: the construction of that hoist) made me physically uncomfortable just watching it. Also: afterwards the legs appear to have bent quite a bit, and you have to wonder about what kind of stresses that put on the attachment points. At least they're lucky, you can't deny them that. What gets me though: they can design and build a rocket motor but get a whole pile of very basic stuff utterly wrong. How is that even possible?
engineer_22 5y ago
I thought to myself "Those folks have got more money than brains." Speaking of which. How are they funded?
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Apparently they received $0.5M from a group calling themselves (very aptly) 'Space Cowboys': https://pythom.com/ps/Pythom-500k-Seed-Round-Closed-2020-03-10-39518 https://pythom.com/ps/Pythom-500k-Seed-Round-Closed-2020-03-...

QuadmasterXLII 5y ago

That's terrifying, but compelling. To zoom in on one feature: Back when I was a barely supervised teenage boy we tried that strategy of pulling a 20+ foot structure upright with a truck, and managed to limit injuries one participant getting a bad rope burn. It seemed sketchy even to us, I can't guess at the thought process that lead to a bunch of grown literal rocket scientists trying it. To be honest I'm jealous that they're still at it. You think they're hiring?

jacquesm 5y ago
> You think they're hiring? Think of the lawsuits...

trhway 5y ago

>Lasting about 2 minutes and 40 seconds, the video shows a number of instances in which Pythom employees appear to be handling the Eiger rocket and its hypergolic propellants (furfuryl alcohol and nitric acid) with less than industry-standard care. That reminded our ROTC training on handling SCUD missiles which also had nitric acid as oxidizer - even for training without actual fuel/oxidizer we had to don the protection suits :) Anyway, looking at those guys i think i definitely can go ahead with my SpaceX competitor rocket project.