Everyone knows SpaceX is Elon Musk’s commercial space company- and, if we’re being honest, there are many things to say about the company. The launch of the company’s rocket, Starship, is one of those controversial topics. Aside from navigating how the launch went, there are some lessons to learn from it. So, in this article, we’ll discuss those important lessons.
How did the launch go?
You’ve probably heard about the recent second launch of the giant Starship rocket; it’s no news that things went wrong. The launch resulted in explosions, although everything went well for the first few minutes.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
According to SpaceX’s report, things went well after the rocket achieved a one-of-a-kind feat of the booster and chip separated. Unfortunately, as the booster turned around, several engines failed, leading to what the company called a rapid unscheduled assembly.
Shocking misfortune? We don’t think so
It won’t be wrong to say that the rough rocket launch wasn’t unexpected- neither for us nor for the company. It’s not the first launch to end in explosions, so we know things can’t just get perfect at once.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
For the company, it’s all about the protocol. SpaceX operates with a test-fail-retest approach- so they’re always anticipating errors. However, the important lesson is that the company is always open to learning from its mistakes.
Starting from the very beginning
While almost everyone knows that the launch ended in an explosive affair, only a few people know what initiated the problem. A filter blockage set off a chain reaction, which led to an engine detonation.
Courtesy: REUTERS/Joe Skipper
The company has fixed the process through which future ships’ tanks will be filled with liquid oxygen. According to the company’s tweet on X, these errors only point the team in the right direction- they weren’t expecting a fully successful launch.
Reducing the chances of future accidents
Since it was a test flight, the ship was empty- but extra liquid oxygen was loaded to mimic the weight of satellites. When the extra propellant had to be vented, a fire broke out inside the engine bay, which complicated things.
Courtesy: REUTERS/Joe Skipper
The company learned from this occurrence that their future ship engines will be steered with a system less likely to cause fire outbreaks. SpaceX has also boosted fire protection and changed the propellant venting method in the ship design.
Sticking to the essentials
Another thing we like about SpaceX’s lessons-learned system is that the company didn’t keep the public in the dark with tech speak and science jargon. They explained every process and occurrence in clear, concise terms.
Courtesy: FOX NEWS
This portrays a good picture to the company’s potential clients, showing they see no harm in being transparent about their endeavors. It also shows the company is okay with the public holding them to their claims and plans.
