[AR] Re: SpaceX F9 Launch/Update -- Live Link

  • From: Derek Lyons <fairwater@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 25 Dec 2015 23:10:24 -0800

On Dec 25, 2015 10:04 PM, "Henry Spencer" <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


On Fri, 25 Dec 2015, Derek Lyons wrote:

...designed to meet political requirements (hence were segmented...
The extent of that is, in my opinion, exaggerated...


Another concern was handling the big mothers. They had to be cast nose
down, and had to be uprighted without damage. The grain could also
'flow'
under it's own weight.


Indeed an issue; even much smaller solids, like the Delta II strap-ons,
can turn around and bite you if you don't handle them just right, as
witness the 1997 Delta failure. And nobody had any real experience with it
for SRB-sized solids -- precisely what wasn't wanted when the whole point
of solids was to minimize up-front cost.



I've handled big solids. :) We took a great deal of care with them even if
what I can neither confirm nor deny wasn't snuggled up under the nose
fairing.

D.

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