
SpaceX says helium loading issue caused accident, seeks 2016 return to flight - gvb
http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/10/spacex-says-it-remains-on-track-to-return-to-flight-by-years-end/
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cududa
Does anyone know of any good reading on the type of insurance policy SpaceX
might have for their launches? Or what type of entity would insure it?

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danielvf
At little old (2002) but just what you are looking for:
[https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/as...](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/media/q42002.pdf)

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Dylan16807
"issues with handling helium, rather than a design issue with the rocket
itself"

I don't know if I would be so quick to declare "rather", but it would mean
that they can baby the helium tanks to avoid any design issues for now.

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api
Depends on how you define things. The fact that a gas car will have issues
with very cold fuel or fuel outside an octane rating range is not a design
flaw. But it is a thing you need to know.

You could say they learned something new about the rocket's exact "needs" and
performance envelope, but you could also say that this sensitivity is
something that should call for a design rev. Answer is likely yes and yes.

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perseusprime11
Could this explain the loud bang we heard before the rocket exploded?

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drakonandor
Boeing sniper nearby, possibly Illuminati.

The solution involves Kevlar armor around all the fuel tanks.

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phkahler
So was it thermal shock?

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DiThi
Formation of oxygen ice crystals around carbon fibers of helium tank,
rupturing fibers.

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harshreality
I don't follow /r/spacex so I found this to be a great summary. A little more
detail (without going to /r/spacex and wading through threads there) is in a
comment (which itself is summarizing theories from /r/spacex) at ars:

[http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/10/spacex-says-it-
remain...](http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/10/spacex-says-it-remains-on-
track-to-return-to-flight-by-years-end/?comments=1&post=32154037)

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M_Grey
This is what seems to matter most... _Company still needs to find "exact" root
cause, but ready to resume rocket tests._

They need to figure that out, and they need to do it before they lose another
payload on the pad.

