Apparently, in addition to the recontact after stage separation and tumbling second “stage,” the parachutes on the Corndog failed and damaged the cases of the first stage. But hey, what do you want for half a billion dollars? I mean, besides a whole new launch company and launch vehicle, as SpaceX managed to do for that amount.
[Update a few minutes later]
The obvious question, of course, is if the recontact damaged the chute system.
Not clear there was a recontact, though that was my first impression, too. That whole “dynamic pressure” thing does make a difference to pitching moment. The real Ares I will separate at a considerably smaller q.
But from my standpoint, what we will learn from this flight is quite valuable. Especially if there was a failure! One real failure is worth 10 million Monte Carlo runs….
BBB
“…what we will learn from this flight is quite valuable. Especially if there was a failure!”
We may be geniuses by the end of this program.
But hey, what do you want for half a billion dollars? I mean, besides a whole new launch company and launch vehicle, as SpaceX managed to do for that amount.
Heck, you don’t even have to go to Newspace for that. Boeing developed the Delta IV Heavy for about that much.
Mike
I have a horrible suspicion that in 2019, after an Ares/Orion is lost, I’m going to be screaming Robert Conquest’s line to the heavens:
I told you so, you fucking fools!*
* Yes, I know it was Kingsley Amis who really said it.
I can’t help it! I watched the launch, got up early and spun up the disks both days, gotta see what the “new and improved” Roman candle was going to do. If you can get an unedited version of the video feed from UCS 23, I’d like it.
My “can’t help it” is http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v63/Bogdaddy/?action=view¤t=NASAtoy.jpg
Link tools to your site Mr. Rand, not too sure, hence the URL.
Don’t know where I saved the image from. Sooo fitting.
Have you noticed the $250 per senior check for the lack of C.O.L is about 3/4’s of NASA’s annual budget? Interesting.
But from my standpoint, what we will learn from this flight is quite valuable. Especially if there was a failure! One real failure is worth 10 million Monte Carlo runs….
I’ve already learned that there’s worse things than decision paralysis. Namely making a really bad choice and sticking by it.
Amusingly, this was exactly the same sort of failure SpaceX had in one of their first flights, except that for them it was *obviously* the result of that sloppy incompetent private sector cutting corners and being ignorant…
But from my standpoint, what we will learn from this flight is quite valuable. Especially if there was a failure! One real failure is worth 10 million Monte Carlo runs….
Let me figure this one out…..Now we know how to launch one SRB instead of two….well, that’s an advancement!!!!!!