Just heard about this. OMFG When those things go boom they really go boom.





^^^ yup, the equivalent of a couple of hundred automobile gas tanks all going 'boom' at the same time, with an ample supply of ( liquid ) oxygen thrown into the mix. It takes a whole lot of energy to 'lift' ten tons straight up for 2000 miles !!! Obviously, concentrating that much energy in that small of a 'package' is inherently dangerous.
Since NASA stopped funding it's own 'rockets', it has been dependent on private sector gov't contractors for cargo rockets like this one. It's probable that 'lowest bidder' factors contributed to this spectacular explosion.
Beam me up scotty....oh wait on second thought.
Just want to add a note real quick to the mods. I am an active poster, and what I'm about to say will reveal my exact location. So that's why I made this account. Sorry, just want to put in my two cents, but keep my location private.
I live Cape Canaveral. I hear rockets go off all the time. If I stand outside my house, I can watch them go into orbit. It's pretty cool, but same time, a little scary when you are not expecting it. I've seen some of rockets fail, but more so when it has reach more orbit. But these failures close to launch rarely happen. Since failures do happen, and because there were zero injuries, it should NOT impacted the private sector.
A lot of my family works for the private sector now. Some are retired NASA employees. So space is literally a family business.





^^^ Of course, it must be pure coincidence that the exploding 'American' rocket was using 20 year old 'surplus' Russian made rocket engines which were purchased by the private sector NASA subcontractor Orbital Sciences Corp. ...
From what I've heard. This only shines SpaceX's apple. They had a couple delays, and I think a test rocket was self destructed, otherwise they have moved along ultra smoothly.
And to add to what Melonie said, SpaceX's engines are built in-house, mostly from 3d printed parts.
Oh no!Another private spaceship blew up, and this one had people on it. God I hope they're alright.
A Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo exploded during a test flight with pilots onboard.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/virgin-...ight-1.2819996
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/vir...t-test-n238376





In fact, one Virgin Galactic pilot was killed, but the other is likely to survive ! see
(snip) Officials said they had not noticed anything wrong before the flight. The problem happened about 50 minutes after takeoff and within minutes of the spaceship's release from its mothership, said Stuart Witt, CEO of the Mojave Air and Space Port.
Virgin Galactic - owned by Branson's Virgin Group and Aabar Investments PJS of Abu Dhabi - sells seats on each prospective journey for $250,000. The company says that "future astronauts," as it calls customers, include Stephen Hawking, Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher and Russell Brand. The company reports receiving $90 million from about 700 prospective passengers.
Former NASA top space scientist Alan Stern has seats to fly on Virgin Galactic and isn't rethinking his plans.
"Let's not be Chicken Littles here," said Stern. "I want to be part of the opening of this future frontier."
Friday's accident was the second this week involving private space flight. On Tuesday, an unmanned commercial supply rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded moments after liftoff in Virginia.
Virgin Galactic plans to launch space tourism flights from the quarter-billion-dollar Spaceport America in southern New Mexico once it finished developing its rocket ship.
Taxpayers footed the bill to build the state-of-the-art hangar and runway in a remote stretch of desert in southern New Mexico as part of a plan devised by Branson and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Critics have long challenged the state's investment, questioning whether flights would ever get off the ground.(snip)
On a bit different tack, the setback to Virgin Galactic is unlikely to have much of an effect on any scientific aspect of the US space program. The major effect is likely to be a delay in the initial offerings of $250,000 'space tourist' passenger flights for the 'rich and famous' ... as well as some potential major savings for taxpayers !!!
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