Re:SpaceX's next Starship flight could test refueling tech
by ceejayoz on Tuesday December 12, 2023 @02:27PM
(#38617078)
> If a test flight doesn't achieve the testing objectives, that's a failure.
Demonstrably incorrect.
Examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqeJzItldSQ is a Saturn launch abort test that failed. It failed in a way that they were able to determine that intended test would have worked, though. 1:20 for the meat of things.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_6 also failed to achieve its objectives; "Despite the engine failures, the flight provided NASA with enough confidence to use the Saturn V for crewed launches; a potential third uncrewed flight was cancelled."
All that aside, SpaceX was quite clear that the latest Starship test had multiple objectives, and that "successfully splashdown near Hawaii" was deemed quite unlikely. It successfully demonstrated a number of items, including fairly critically the launchpad changes. It wasn't one test; it was a bunch of tests in one flight.
Demonstrably incorrect.
Examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqeJzItldSQ is a Saturn launch abort test that failed. It failed in a way that they were able to determine that intended test would have worked, though. 1:20 for the meat of things.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_6 also failed to achieve its objectives; "Despite the engine failures, the flight provided NASA with enough confidence to use the Saturn V for crewed launches; a potential third uncrewed flight was cancelled."
All that aside, SpaceX was quite clear that the latest Starship test had multiple objectives, and that "successfully splashdown near Hawaii" was deemed quite unlikely. It successfully demonstrated a number of items, including fairly critically the launchpad changes. It wasn't one test; it was a bunch of tests in one flight.