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It's quite clear that the lack of diverter/deluge was a misstep, and the effect was unanticipated. So many things were damaged - launch cameras, that car, a pad
by dTal 4y ago
It's quite clear that the lack of diverter/deluge was a misstep, and the effect was unanticipated. So many things were damaged - launch cameras, that car, a pad-side oxygen tank, likely several of the rocket motors. You can see enormous chunks of concrete flung into the air on the recording - it's a miracle the damage was not worse. The rocket could easily have been destroyed on the pad, along with the entire launch complex. Given the obvious problems at the business end of the rocket it very possibly even cost the mission.
It was just a bad decision.
- RetpolineDrama 4y ago>It's quite clear that the lack of diverter/deluge was a misstep I don't agree. None of this, pad included, is production hardware. This test article was obsolete and on the verge of being scrapped (like the several before it) to make room for newer models. The pad itself (except the ring structure, which is fine) is temporary. The tank farm is temporary. The only infrastructure that really needed to be protected was the tower frame itself, which is fine. The overwhelming majority of commenters in here and that flagged article from the other day seemingly refuse to understand that almost everything involved in the test was temporary/planned to be scrapped. The "damage" wasn't mitigated *because it doesn't matter*.
- fabian2k 4y agoThe debris very likely compromised the test because it damaged the engines. That is not intentional and is something SpaceX needs to fix.