rocket launch tonight

[Rick in PA]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Wallops was severely damaged tonight...details will be forthcoming...


That didn't look good. Video on CNN page. Looks like the rocket got up a bit, failed, and dropped back to the pad. Ugly.

 

[dave1251]

This launch was far from cool.

 

[Astro14]

Watching the video closely, you see the exhaust plume, then a large jet of flame that obscures the plume. Clearly a material failure...one that led to fuel gushing out under pressure next to the rocket engine...followed by the explosion...

The modified NK-33 engine uses kerosene and LOX...and its plumbing is a bit different than most rocket engines in that pre-burners drive the turbo-machinery...so, I am left speculating (as that's all one can do right now) that the jet of flame was from a turbomachinery failure that let the pre-burner exhaust escape...it burns through the lines, thrust is lost, then it burns through the fuel tank...and...boom...

 

[morepwr]

That was a spectacular video of it. I DO NOT mean that in a way that I am happy that happened because I am not and feel bad for all the people who worked on that only to have it all burn up.