:((((((

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - An unmanned Space Exploration Technologies rocket exploded about two minutes after liftoff from Florida on Sunday, destroying a cargo ship bound for the International Space Station in the latest in a string of mishaps in supplying the orbiting outpost.

The 208-foot-tall (63-meter) rocket, built and flown by the company known as SpaceX that is owned by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, had previously made 18 successful launches since its 2010 debut. Those included six cargo runs for NASA under a 15-flight contract worth more than $2 billion.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/28/us-space-spacex-launch-idUSKCN0P80NM20150628

Ouch, so much for Private doing this better..

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

Ouch, so much for Private doing this better..

Actually, Vic, one mishap in 18 missions is pretty damned good. They've been working with NASA and having launches since 2010.

SpaceX is the future of space exploration. Elon Musk WILL get us to Mars! :-)


TL

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TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

Not having much luck lately with there launches to resupply the space station .

3 attempts and they have all failed . Wonder if NASA is questioning weather shutting the shuttle program down was a good idea .

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Going into space is dangerous business, no matter who does it. Out of 137 launches one space shuttle was lost at launch and another on reentry. Initially NASA expected a higher loss rate. In many ways we are fortunate to have only lost the two. If the USA and the rest of the nations wanting to put humans in space can't tolerate any further loss of life then we may as well declare an end to manned space flight now.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Do they have backup supplies when payloads are lost?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Do they have backup supplies when payloads are lost?

Obviously yes for all consumables. Food, water, oxygen, propellants, etc. They should have for all the lost hardware as well, but it may have been being used as a test piece on earth and will need to be cleaned and certified for flight. Only thing I can think of off hand that recently flew they would not have was the Olympic torch.

Or did you mean backup already on orbit? Yes, they like to keep at least six months ahead on consumable supplies.

With the loss of three almost in a row however they may have to cut back to a crew of three for a while until they catch up. Especially if they can't get the supply chain up and running PDQ.

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Do they have backup supplies when payloads are lost?

Obviously yes for all consumables. Food, water, oxygen, propellants, etc. They should have for all the lost hardware as well, but it may have been being used as a test piece on earth and will need to be cleaned and certified for flight. Only thing I can think of off hand that recently flew they would not have was the Olympic torch.

Or did you mean backup already on orbit? Yes, they like to keep at least six months ahead on consumable supplies.

With the loss of three almost in a row however they may have to cut back to a crew of three for a while until they catch up. Especially if they can't get the supply chain up and running PDQ.

Right, I was thinking about what's already up there, plus science experiments being sent.

Why would they send the Olympic torch up?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Why would they send the Olympic torch up?

Simply because the Olympic Games torch is one of the most iconic items on the planet, recognisable to anybody. To have it orbiting the planet itself for the first time its 2800 year history seems completely fitting to me.

Well, when you at it that way... :~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place