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Indeed. They attempted to recycle a garbage rocket after it had been used already. This crash into the ocean thing. That happens on literally every single othe

Indeed. They attempted to recycle a garbage rocket after it had been used already. This crash into the ocean thing. That happens on literally every single other rocket launch in history, it's not abnormal, it's just not usually filmed or even thought about much.

zamalek 12y ago
Agreed, > That led many media outlets to call the gutsy landing attempt in the Atlantic a failure. That's a fundamental misunderstanding of what the launch was about: modern journalism seems to be the failure in this case.
- fit2rule 12y ago
  Its a failed landing but not a failed mission. Unfortunately making such distinctions seems to be an editors dilemna with most mainstream media ..
Shivetya 12y ago
which makes me curious, how many boosters are crashed into the ocean and what are the rules regarding them? From toxins to salvage. I know we have dumped far worse into the ocean, its littered with munitions for instance.
- baq 12y ago
  i'd say that most rockets blow up when propellant mixes with oxygen during the crash, if there are any left. they probably burn it all before reentry.
- logfromblammo 12y ago
  First stage rockets likely break into pieces upon hitting the water and sink to the ocean floor. Higher stages burn up in the atmosphere. Debris from a successful launch are usually not worth worrying about. Failed launches, on the other hand, could contain unburned propellants, hypergolic fuels, radioactive or toxic payloads, and may come down as a blazing fireball on top of something that otherwise would have expected no more than a speck of metal oxides.
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    > and may come down as a blazing fireball on top of something that otherwise would have expected no more than a speck of metal oxides. Not if range safety is doing their job.
    - logfromblammo 12y ago
      I recall seeing a video of a solid rocket booster that destroyed several cars in a parking lot with flaming chunks of partially burned propellant. Range safety cannot reasonably be expected to protect everywhere that a rocket could possibly reach. In the worst case scenario, it must intentionally destroy the vehicle if it may stray outside the protected area such that the debris remain within it. If you work on a launch complex, make sure you have good insurance.

zamalek 12y ago

Agreed, > That led many media outlets to call the gutsy landing attempt in the Atlantic a failure. That's a fundamental misunderstanding of what the launch was about: modern journalism seems to be the failure in this case.

fit2rule 12y ago
Its a failed landing but not a failed mission. Unfortunately making such distinctions seems to be an editors dilemna with most mainstream media ..

Shivetya 12y ago

which makes me curious, how many boosters are crashed into the ocean and what are the rules regarding them? From toxins to salvage. I know we have dumped far worse into the ocean, its littered with munitions for instance.

baq 12y ago
i'd say that most rockets blow up when propellant mixes with oxygen during the crash, if there are any left. they probably burn it all before reentry.
logfromblammo 12y ago
First stage rockets likely break into pieces upon hitting the water and sink to the ocean floor. Higher stages burn up in the atmosphere. Debris from a successful launch are usually not worth worrying about. Failed launches, on the other hand, could contain unburned propellants, hypergolic fuels, radioactive or toxic payloads, and may come down as a blazing fireball on top of something that otherwise would have expected no more than a speck of metal oxides.
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  > and may come down as a blazing fireball on top of something that otherwise would have expected no more than a speck of metal oxides. Not if range safety is doing their job.
  - logfromblammo 12y ago
    I recall seeing a video of a solid rocket booster that destroyed several cars in a parking lot with flaming chunks of partially burned propellant. Range safety cannot reasonably be expected to protect everywhere that a rocket could possibly reach. In the worst case scenario, it must intentionally destroy the vehicle if it may stray outside the protected area such that the debris remain within it. If you work on a launch complex, make sure you have good insurance.