3 ms·
That's for sure not stage separation, that's an explosion from the FTS rupturing the ship tanks.
by walrus01 2y ago
That's for sure not stage separation, that's an explosion from the FTS rupturing the ship tanks.
- pixl97 2y agoEh I'm thinking more it was a reentry explosion from pressurized tanks. Engines had failed a while before then.
- s1artibartfast 2y agoThis is over the Bahamas. Re-entry was much further east, near Turks and Caicos Islands. Also, if a pressurized tank is reentering, that means the FTS failed to detonate.
- ericcumbee 2y agoIf it was the FTS wouldn't the flight control systems send a message back to the ground saying "things are going sideways here, FTS Activated"
- anothertroll456 2y agoMaybe it did, or is it public that it didn't? A possible sequence (very typical in rocket failures) is: fire, engine failure(s), loss of control, rupture due to aero forces or FTS activation, explosion due to propellant mixture. Not all of these have to happen, but it's a typical progression. Before the days of AFTS the FTS activation would be pretty delayed.