I'm sorry, but with a first-stage putting out roughly twice the thrust of a Saturn-V, not having a flame trench and water suppression system would seem to be the height of stupidity, if not irrational cost-cutting.
But that's how Elon Musk rolls; no reasonable safety precautions are put in place until shit goes sideways.
The damage is amazing. How could he have so ignored safety protocols? That video of that van being destructed by flying concrete was amazing too. I wonder if he saves money by just rebuilding the launch pad versus putting in the proper design and safeties, to begin with. What a dangerous nutball he has become.
ReplyDeletew3ski
I would venture the moment or so stage one sat on that foundation under thrust to achieve lift was enough to rattle everything from there up so as to fail at separation. I'm reminded a lot these day's of old sods about shifting sands. Yes, that's a lot of concrete, enough it would take twenty years to properly cure; I would further venture all that exposed rebar survived because the still wet concrete at the heart of the pad boiled it from the inside out.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised it didn't tip over before it got off the ground ...
I think the expectation was if it blew up on the
ReplyDeletepad it would be -what pad- afterwards regardless
of construction.
It would be a good bet next launch attempt will include
many things. And likely less probability of RUD.
Eck!
https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/faa-monitoring-spacexs-clean-up-after-starship-launch/
ReplyDeleteA water-cooled steel plate was designed and behind schedule…whoops
Broken windows reported, along with a layer of sand and other materials all over Port Isabel. Given the distances, the same is likely for most of southern South Padre Island. Given these reports, expect structural damage to surface soon.
I was right ~ https://youtu.be/ViAb3vYIh_8
ReplyDeleteYes, I wrote pad but launch complex would have been more complete.
ReplyDeleteThose tanks near the platform was insane.
Eck!