3 ms·
> Overall they didn't really had single point of failure Valves are the single most difficult part of space. Valves can fail if the air was too humid for too l
by snakeyjake 2y ago
> Overall they didn't really had single point of failure
Valves are the single most difficult part of space. Valves can fail if the air was too humid for too long six months ago. They can fail if a single assembler's eyelash falls out and finds its way into the valve during assembly. They can fail if they're shaken wrong. They can fail if they're too hot or too cold or not enough of either.
If I was smart enough to solve valves I would be a insta-billionaire.
Almost every single abort is due to valves. Sometimes telemetry but almost always valves. When a countdown stops a safe question to ask isn't "what happened?" it's "which valve didn't valve right this time?"
The cover being ripped off and some malady afflicting the valves due to its absence is only one mode of failure for that single point of failure-- there are always others.
- avmich 2y agoDon't over-dramatize. Valves are important, but they are a relatively simple mechanical units. My kitchen has valves used many times a day and serving years in a row. While rocket valves operate under more complex conditions, they also usually designed and manufactured with more care. So yes, valves can fail - but they also can be made reliable.
- consumer451 2y agoUnless you have experience with the insane regimes that these valves have to deal with, I don’t think it’s fair to compare home plumbing valves. Anecdotally, I have heard in interviews that rocket engineers complain about the hurdle of reliable valves.