this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
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FTS explosives team on their way to Starship and Superheavy (pbs.twimg.com)
submitted 10 months ago by llamacoffee@lemmy.world to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
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[–] HootinNHollerin@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

What is that for?

[–] slem@lemm.ee 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Flight termination system, blows up the rocket if things go wrong

[–] HootinNHollerin@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I figured they'd use methane and oxygen but guess total redundancy is better

[–] MartianSands@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 months ago

The rocket is very careful to keep the oxygen and methane separate. To make the tanks explode they'd need to spend a lot of time mixing them, which isn't good enough for a self-destruct. It would also behave differently in different parts of the flight. The equipment to do it would be big and heavy as well.

Instead, they use explosive charges because they're lightweight, reliable, and quick to detonate (last launch notwithstanding, because of a design problem)

[–] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 months ago

Rapid disassembly

[–] clothes@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Are they wearing explosive backpacks?

[–] nyoooom@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

They have a lot of revendications

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago

It's so in case they fall off the tower, they won't crash to the ground.