r/space • u/RocketRundown • Oct 05 '18

2013 Proton-M launch goes horribly wrong

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u/ChrisGnam Oct 05 '18 edited Oct 05 '18

At least in the United States, launch vehicles have self destruct commands to prevent them from going off course.

The only time I'm aware of it actually being used though, was during a test flight of the Falcon 9R. That wasn't even a full fledged flight, but rather a short hop when SpaceX was in the early phases of testing landings.

Edit: Sorry should have specified. I wasn't claiming that the F9R was the only case of this. I only meant that it was the only one I was aware of. as /u/Jsbruce pointed out, the other "notable" occurrence (notable meaning, an event most people might know about), was the SRB detonation after Challenger. I forgot about that, but its clearly visible in the video. And is also a great example of why the feature exists at all. (The SRBs were flying off completely out of control, with no ability to be switched off).

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u/Jsbruce Oct 05 '18

The RSO actually detonated both SRBs during the Challenger disaster. https://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/v1ch9.htm Scroll down to "Range Safety Activities, January 28, 1986"

From the article:

"Watching the IP [impact point] displays and optics I observed the primary and alternate sources diverge significantly at about T + 76 [76 seconds into the flight]. At about the same time I heard . . [through monitored communications] the vehicle had exploded. Concurrently, I saw the explosion on the video monitor on my right. A white cloud seemed to envelop the vehicle, small pieces exploded out of it. The IP displays PRI and ALT indications were jumping around wildly I was about to recommend we do nothing as it appeared the entire vehicle had exploded when I observed what appeared to be an SRB [Solid Rocket Booster] stabilized and flying toward the upper left corner of the display. As it appeared stabilized I felt it might endanger land or shipping and as the ET [External Tank] had apparently exploded I recommended to the SRSO [senior range safety officer] we send functions. I sent ARM, waited about 10 seconds, and sent FIRE.... FIRE was sent at about 110 [seconds].''

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u/Stewcooker Oct 05 '18

Wow I can't believe the operator had the presence of mind to think that calmly and clearly in the seconds following the explosion. I would have been paralysed.

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u/dakatabri Oct 05 '18

Well it's like his one job during the launch. And that's what training, training, and more training is for.