4 ms·

I'm really interested to see the hole it dug under the launch mount. The NASA SpaceFlight van took a direct hit from a fast moving chunk of concrete. https://

I'm really interested to see the hole it dug under the launch mount. The NASA SpaceFlight van took a direct hit from a fast moving chunk of concrete. https://twitter.com/JerryPikePhoto/status/1649052722698784771 https://twitter.com/JerryPikePhoto/status/164905272269878477... https://twitter.com/LabPadre/status/1649053476276797440 https://twitter.com/LabPadre/status/1649053476276797440 Edit: it really did dig a crater (this was flat concrete under the pad before): https://twitter.com/LabPadre/status/1649062784167030785 https://twitter.com/LabPadre/status/1649062784167030785

bob1029 4y ago
I wonder if this was expected or not. This video immediately comes to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbUeO4iGhY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbUeO4iGhY (Why SpaceX Cares about Concrete) This probably explains why some of the engines didn't make it off the pad. That is some incredible damage.
- adastra22 4y ago
  Depends on what you mean by "expected." It was absolutely not supposed to happen, although a lot of people in the industry have been shouting "we have flame trenches for a reason!"
  - zizee 4y ago
    They didn't want it to happen, but they definitely knew it was a strong possibility.
- uguuo_o 4y ago
  I have done work for NASA on this problem through SBIRs. The risks have been known for a long time, and to my team the extent of the damage was not surprising. NASA/SpaceX just don't have the computational tools to assess these types of risks at this time.
baq 4y ago
Why dig a flame trench if you can have your test article make one for you. Efficiency!
- fnordpiglet 4y ago
  When I dig, I only dig with super massive rockets.
corbulo 4y ago
Its trying to get to the moon one way or another
Symmetry 4y ago
Needing to make a big flame trench and deluge system might be the big takeaway from this flight. I'm not happy at the construction delays that'll entail but it that's what it takes for enough engines to get through liftoff it's what needs to be done.
- saberdancer 4y ago
  From what I understand that was already planned - this was only launch without it.
saberdancer 4y ago
NSF on their stream did talk that this is the only launch that will be done without water system - my understanding is that it would be used during launch to reduce damage to the pad.
- cubefox 4y ago
  Yes, they have a water deluge system, but that might not be enough, and they also need a flame diverter.
mhandley 4y ago
If I'm calculating correctly from the frame rate, the lump of concrete that hit the van was doing about 330 mph after the impact. I couldn't find a pair of frames to compare before impact.
pugworthy 4y ago
The liftoff video at https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1649097087248891904 https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1649097087248891904 shows some clear debris hitting the ocean.
gridspy 4y ago
This video filmed near the pad shows the huge chunks of debris from the pad hitting everything nearby (cars, cameras, etc) and is quite spectacular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thA8jlgcJ-8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thA8jlgcJ-8
shthed 4y ago
https://twitter.com/unrocket/status/1649425500526329863 https://twitter.com/unrocket/status/1649425500526329863 Better view of the hole and damage to the launch mount

bob1029 4y ago

I wonder if this was expected or not. This video immediately comes to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbUeO4iGhY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbUeO4iGhY (Why SpaceX Cares about Concrete) This probably explains why some of the engines didn't make it off the pad. That is some incredible damage.

adastra22 4y ago
Depends on what you mean by "expected." It was absolutely not supposed to happen, although a lot of people in the industry have been shouting "we have flame trenches for a reason!"
- zizee 4y ago
  They didn't want it to happen, but they definitely knew it was a strong possibility.
uguuo_o 4y ago
I have done work for NASA on this problem through SBIRs. The risks have been known for a long time, and to my team the extent of the damage was not surprising. NASA/SpaceX just don't have the computational tools to assess these types of risks at this time.

baq 4y ago

Why dig a flame trench if you can have your test article make one for you. Efficiency!

fnordpiglet 4y ago
When I dig, I only dig with super massive rockets.

corbulo 4y ago

Its trying to get to the moon one way or another

Symmetry 4y ago

Needing to make a big flame trench and deluge system might be the big takeaway from this flight. I'm not happy at the construction delays that'll entail but it that's what it takes for enough engines to get through liftoff it's what needs to be done.

saberdancer 4y ago
From what I understand that was already planned - this was only launch without it.

saberdancer 4y ago

NSF on their stream did talk that this is the only launch that will be done without water system - my understanding is that it would be used during launch to reduce damage to the pad.

cubefox 4y ago
Yes, they have a water deluge system, but that might not be enough, and they also need a flame diverter.

mhandley 4y ago

If I'm calculating correctly from the frame rate, the lump of concrete that hit the van was doing about 330 mph after the impact. I couldn't find a pair of frames to compare before impact.

pugworthy 4y ago

The liftoff video at https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1649097087248891904 https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1649097087248891904 shows some clear debris hitting the ocean.

gridspy 4y ago

This video filmed near the pad shows the huge chunks of debris from the pad hitting everything nearby (cars, cameras, etc) and is quite spectacular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thA8jlgcJ-8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thA8jlgcJ-8

shthed 4y ago

https://twitter.com/unrocket/status/1649425500526329863 https://twitter.com/unrocket/status/1649425500526329863 Better view of the hole and damage to the launch mount