StyM
10-06-2016, 04:46 AM
http://www.kitguru.net/channel/science/jon-martindale/blue-origin-booster-lands-successfully-after-in-flight-escape-test/
Blue Origin?s New Shepherd rocket has touched back down safely after it was jostled by the launch of the flight escape system during a test run as part of its latest firing. This was far from expected, with CEO Jeff Bezos claiming beforehand that the test would likely cripple or destroy the booster.
Although flight escape systems are very rarely used, they are an incredibly important part of any rocket system. The idea is that should a malfunction, explosion or rapid unplanned disassembly occur during a manned mission, the escape system would launch the crew capsule far from harm, far too quickly for anything to impact it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2bXspbONQA
That part of this test went off without a hitch, but because of the very nature of such a system, the booster rocket the capsule is attached too is not a priority. Even if the cause of the escape engagement wasn?t due to the rocket exploding, the forces generated by its rapid thrust (70, 000 pounds of it) away from the main rocket was expected to destroy the booster, but it did nothing of the sort.
Before the mission took place, Jeff Bezos said that should the New Shepherd rocket survive separation and could be landed once again, that it would be interred as a historic piece of equipment, since this would be the fifth time it had successfully touched down. And it did, so now it will be.
Blue Origin?s New Shepherd rocket has touched back down safely after it was jostled by the launch of the flight escape system during a test run as part of its latest firing. This was far from expected, with CEO Jeff Bezos claiming beforehand that the test would likely cripple or destroy the booster.
Although flight escape systems are very rarely used, they are an incredibly important part of any rocket system. The idea is that should a malfunction, explosion or rapid unplanned disassembly occur during a manned mission, the escape system would launch the crew capsule far from harm, far too quickly for anything to impact it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2bXspbONQA
That part of this test went off without a hitch, but because of the very nature of such a system, the booster rocket the capsule is attached too is not a priority. Even if the cause of the escape engagement wasn?t due to the rocket exploding, the forces generated by its rapid thrust (70, 000 pounds of it) away from the main rocket was expected to destroy the booster, but it did nothing of the sort.
Before the mission took place, Jeff Bezos said that should the New Shepherd rocket survive separation and could be landed once again, that it would be interred as a historic piece of equipment, since this would be the fifth time it had successfully touched down. And it did, so now it will be.