RFA Explains How Its UK Rocket Engine Test Led to Monday's Spectacular Explosion (theguardian.com) 13
Monday brought spectacular footage of an explosion at a UK rocket test site after an engine test went awry. The plan had been to test-fire all of a rocket stage's nine engines at the same time — they've successfully ignited them more than a hundred times — but this time one of the first eight had an "unusual" anomaly — "most likely a fire in the oxygen pump," according to a video posted by space company RFA on X.com.
The trouble "spread onto neighboring engines," eventually leading to a billowing jet of fire from the side of the vehicle. ("The engine-propellant manifold system was damaged to such a great extent that kerosene kept fueling the fire.")
Slashdot reader AleRunner writes: A rocket company has vowed to return to regular operations "as soon as possible" after an explosion during a test at the UK's new spaceport in Shetland. The explosion happened after "an "anomaly" had led to "the loss of the stage" — but there were no injuries according to a Guardian report. The test was carried out by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg which hopes to make the first UK vertical rocket launch into orbit... "We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing.
"This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach. Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible."
"In true RFA fashion, we're being as transparent as possible," the company posted Friday on X.com, "and sharing our own raw footage of the incident." The day of the explosion they'd posted that "The launch pad has been saved and is secured," and Friday posted that six-minute video explaining what happened. (It emphasizes there's an improved version of this stage that's already been built.)
The Guardian added that the explosion comes three months after RFA's successful 8-second test firing of its rocket engines — the spaceport's first rocket test.
The trouble "spread onto neighboring engines," eventually leading to a billowing jet of fire from the side of the vehicle. ("The engine-propellant manifold system was damaged to such a great extent that kerosene kept fueling the fire.")
Slashdot reader AleRunner writes: A rocket company has vowed to return to regular operations "as soon as possible" after an explosion during a test at the UK's new spaceport in Shetland. The explosion happened after "an "anomaly" had led to "the loss of the stage" — but there were no injuries according to a Guardian report. The test was carried out by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg which hopes to make the first UK vertical rocket launch into orbit... "We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing.
"This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach. Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible."
"In true RFA fashion, we're being as transparent as possible," the company posted Friday on X.com, "and sharing our own raw footage of the incident." The day of the explosion they'd posted that "The launch pad has been saved and is secured," and Friday posted that six-minute video explaining what happened. (It emphasizes there's an improved version of this stage that's already been built.)
The Guardian added that the explosion comes three months after RFA's successful 8-second test firing of its rocket engines — the spaceport's first rocket test.
How dare you, sir? (Score:2)
I will not RFA.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
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In rocketry you have to embrace failure because the alternative is to hide it, and in the long run that's worse.
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When the vantage point changes (Score:3)
When the vantage point of a rocket test/launch video suddenly changes to one 10x farther away, you know it is time to start eyeing the emergency evacuation route.
seems suspicious. (Score:2)
Unst gets a spaceport and a rocket just happens to explode? No way Lord Zargothrax wasn't involved.
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"We develop iteratively" (Score:2)
Iteratively with an emphasis on testing translates to, at least in my experience, "without due caution hoping QA picks it up"
So, oh my god a rocket company using Agile. Can you imagine the daily scrums
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Fair play
Where's the kaboom? (Score:3)
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Watch till the end .