Here’s why the loss of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is a big deal for NASA

[TexasTowelie]

The loss of today’s Falcon 9 rocket is a critical one for NASA.

The vehicle carried 4,000 pounds in supplies, from food and water to about 70 scientific experiments to hardware for the space station itself.

Among that hardware was the first of two International Docking Adapters, designed to make it possible for commercial crew vehicles being developed by SpaceX and Boeing to dock to the space station.

This 1,000-pound adapter was due to be installed during a future spacewalk to allow SpaceX’s Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100 to begin docking as early as late 2016 or early 2017. So not only did one of NASA’s commercial crew providers experience a serious problem today, the agency lost a critical piece of commercial crew hardware.

Read more: http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2015/06/heres-why-the-loss-of-spacexs-falcon-9-rocket-is-a-big-deal-for-nasa/#22787101=0


The International Docking Adapter at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA)

Cross-posted in the Science Group.

[Cal Carpenter]

1. Privatizing infrastructure never ends well

whether you are a bridge in Minnesota or a space station out in fucking space.

[GummyBearz]

4. Do you think NASA made their own rockets before spaceX?

Try Boeing or Lockheed. Btw, the historical odds of a space rocket blowing up on launch are 1/20 (can be as high as 1/10 for a design with a low number of flights)

[morningfog]

5. NASA used to launch its own rockets, regardless or who made components of them.

[GummyBearz]

9. Yea...

I pump my own gas and turn the key to my Toyota... I'm still happy that Toyota built the thing for me. I couldn't do a better job myself. Same thing for NASA's relationship with Boeing/Lockheed/SpaceX/Russia(now)

[moondust]

8. Maybe it matters who controls the specifications.

Those with an unhurried, triple-check everything mindset vs. those with a short-term profit maximization mindset.

[bluedigger]

2. Why didn't they just make their new ships compatible with the station as is?

Are there other space stations they have to dock with?

[GummyBearz]

10. Cuz

then they couldn't get the follow-on contract to make it compatible.. duh!

[Starry Messenger]

3. K&R

I am also not a fan of corporate space travel.

[Uncle Joe]

6. That was a bummer.

Thanks for the thread, TexasTowelie.

[TexasTowelie]

13. You're welcome.

One of the other stories that I saw about the failed launch was this one from the Austin area:

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/eanes-students-project-was-on-spacex-rocket-that-e/nmnTw/

[Blue_Tires]

7. Why is this a bigger deal than the loss of the Antares,

which had 5,000 lbs of cargo, and destroyed part of the launchpad in the process?

http://wavy.com/2014/10/28/rocket-explodes-seconds-after-launch-from-wallops-island/

[killbotfactory]

11. Rocket science seems to be a bit difficult. nt

[nationalize the fed]

12. Space X

Elon Musk's growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies

Jerry Hirsh LA Times 5/30/15

Los Angeles entrepreneur Elon Musk has built a multibillion-dollar fortune running companies that make electric cars, sell solar panels and launch rockets into space.

And he's built those companies with the help of billions in government subsidies.

Tesla Motors Inc., SolarCity Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, together have benefited from an estimated $4.9 billion in government support, according to data compiled by The Times. The figure underscores a common theme running through his emerging empire: a public-private financing model underpinning long-shot start-ups.

"He definitely goes where there is government money," said Dan Dolev, an analyst at Jefferies Equity Research. "That's a great strategy, but the government will cut you off one day."...

...Musk and his companies' investors enjoy most of the financial upside of the government support, while taxpayers shoulder the cost...snip

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83663044/

Tesla founder Elon Musk has a knack for getting others—even competitors—to fund his ventures

...SpaceX in 2008 inked a $1.6 billlion deal with NASA for 12 missions to the International Space Station, and has deals with commercial satellite companies for launches. The first SpaceX cargo mission to the ISS launched in October 2012. But by that time, SpaceX had already received hundreds of millions of dollars from NASA. Through mid-2011, NASA had paid SpaceX $298 million for meeting milestones, and Musk in April 2012 said, “I think we've received about $400 or $500 million in NASA funds so far.” Last week Musk and SpaceX sued the Air Force for awarding no-bid contracts for national security launches...
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2014/04/tesla_and_spacex_founder_elon_musk_has_a_knack_for_getting_others_to_fund.html

[Warren DeMontague]

14. A setback, to be sure.

However, when they say "it's not rocket science", they don't mean rocket science, which actually IS rocket science.