
SpaceX Falcon 9 – Possible Explosion - dingaling
http://www.zarya.info/blog/?p=1595
======
Osmium
This has been discussed further here:

[http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1nfl59/spacetrack_is...](http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1nfl59/spacetrack_is_reporting_far_more_pieces_than/)

Quote from SpaceX via twitter.com/spacecom:

"We have no reason to believe there was an explosion of any kind [of second
stage]. Based on previous launch experiences we do know it's common for the
first measurements from Space-Track to not always be accurate. It usually
takes a few days for them to sort it all out and that's with fewer objects to
track."

~~~
cdash
Also it was said that there was an anomaly on second stage relight resulting
in a lot of unburnt fuel to be expelled creating a gas cloud.

This can be seen here. [http://wikkit.tumblr.com/post/62684205892/tracking-a-
new-spa...](http://wikkit.tumblr.com/post/62684205892/tracking-a-new-space-
ufo)

Seems like thats all this is.

~~~
nateberkopec
The gas cloud could apparently be seen from the ground. Someone snapped a pic
from Reunion island, near Madagascar:
[http://wikkit.tumblr.com/post/62684205892/tracking-a-new-
spa...](http://wikkit.tumblr.com/post/62684205892/tracking-a-new-space-ufo)

EDIT: Here's more pics from South Africa [http://uforsa.co.za/2013/09/mass-
ufo-sighting-on-29-septembe...](http://uforsa.co.za/2013/09/mass-ufo-sighting-
on-29-september.html)

------
Gravityloss
The speculation about the feed cutting is not very reasonable. The feed cut
all the time in all phases of the flight, and that always caused also control
room voices to be cut as well. Their software was just configured like that.

~~~
rurounijones
Entire article seemed rather aggressive.

------
JonnieCache
How do I get those spacetrack graphs? Do I have to be a .mil person?

Is there a DIY space tracking service out there?

~~~
dingaling
> How do I get those spacetrack graphs?

NORAD's Space Track service makes the raw two-line elements available, but
over the recent decade they have tightened usage and distribution
restrictions. By the letter of the terms of service, one who downloads the
data may not disclose the raw data or anything derived from it.

[https://www.space-track.org/documentation#/user_agree](https://www.space-
track.org/documentation#/user_agree)

As a result, amateur satellite tracking groups have to 'disregard' Space Track
data and determine orbital elements through their own observations.

~~~
anoved
An exception exists for TLEs redistributed by CelesTrak.com. Sources:
[http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/notice.asp#Update16](http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/notice.asp#Update16)
and personal correspondence with the operator.

(Note also that the Space Track terms do not prohibit individuals from
requesting accounts for personal use.)

------
jccooper
Silly. Article doesn't seem to understand staging, which makes any analysis of
launch vehicle failure pretty questionable.

If anything exploded, it would have to be second stage after payload
deployment-and that wasn't shown in broadcast.

It is vaguely possible that "fail to relight" was used to say "explode", but
that is very evasive even for SpaceX. Also, explosion is not a common failure
mode for liquid rockets (until they crash).

Anyway, rather unlikely. If those radar sigs are real they are probably fuel
or cube sat launch bits or something.

~~~
jccooper
Further information: one of the cubesat payloads separated into seven
different bits (three payload spheres and four sabot pieces). Another is at
least two pieces when deployed. Note that the cubesat launch system is spring-
loaded, intentionally scattering the payloads.

So you'd expect at least 15-16 objects from the launch; 20 isn't all strange.

------
tomp
Assuming this is true, and there actually was an explosion, and it was caused
by the SpaceX rocket: I wonder how does this amount of space debris impact and
potentially endanger future orbit flights. As much as I support technology
development and private space exploration efforts, I think that private
companies shouldn't be allowed to pollute the orbit without retribution. I
hope they figure out the cause, and fix it, and not simply cover it up.

~~~
bbx
I always wondered what the odds were of such a collision occuring in space. I
realized that the surface of the orbit area is way larger than the Earth's
surface. So I imagined satellites and debris located on and moving around the
Earth's surface, and wondered what the odds were of them colliding in such a
situation. I imagined they'd be extremely low, making the odds of a space
collision even much lower.

Not sure I explained it clearly, and it might be a wrong assumption, so feel
free to enlighten me.

~~~
antubbs
So, it's certainly happened:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_satellite_collision](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_satellite_collision)

I'm nowhere near talented enough to talk in terms of "odds" with respect to
satellite collisions, but it's worth noting that certain orbit geometries are
going to naturally see a lot more density because several satellites want to
be in a somewhat similar orbit for various reasons.

~~~
swatkat
Another one:

[http://www.space.com/20146-russian-satellite-space-junk-
thre...](http://www.space.com/20146-russian-satellite-space-junk-threat.html)

------
ChuckMcM
This guy reads like the Glen Beck of space :-). I was intrigued at how
consistently the downlink seemed to interrupt when it switched views, I paused
the video a couple of times to try to figure out what the 'other' view was
that it was trying to switch too. I would not be surprised if SpaceX indicated
a partial failure in their communications downlink which was triggered by
selecting that view, but it is a huge stretch to go from some communications
hiccups to "possible explosion."

------
AliCollins
...or not: "Upper Stage of New Falcon 9 Rocket Did Not Explode After Launch,
SpaceX Says" [http://www.space.com/23038-spacex-falcon-9-rocket-
explosion-...](http://www.space.com/23038-spacex-falcon-9-rocket-explosion-
rumors.html)

------
maga
Nice try, russians.

~~~
podperson
_Ad hominem_ much?

