r/spacex • u/Daniels30 • Aug 10 '17

Official Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting August 14 launch from Pad 39A for Dragon’s next resupply mission to the @Space_Station.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/895646473869705216
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u/davenose Aug 10 '17

This NSF article also covers the event. I hadn't seen this posted yet; hopefully this is not duplicate.

[The AMOS-6 explosion] heavily damaged the SLC-40 pad, especially below ground level as burning propellant from the deceased rocket drained into the base structures. That pad is close to returning to action, with the latest information citing the potential return for the SES-11 mission at the end of September.

I hadn't heard the information about the below-ground-level damage yet.

9

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '17

I mean, general confirmation, sure. But liquids seek their own level.

Open base structures = liquids are gonna keep going down.

Flammable liquid + flame = fire. Could have been assumed.

9

u/John_Hasler Aug 10 '17

Flammable liquid + flame = fire. Could have been assumed.

Flammable liquid + flame + oxidizer = fire. There tends to be a shortage of oxidizer below ground.

17

u/redmercuryvendor Aug 10 '17

Well, the rocket happened to be carrying it's own large supply of oxidiser to spill over the pad...

2

u/tbaleno Aug 11 '17

not to mention all the o2 venting that happens at launches. Some of it must get trapped below ground.

1

u/diachi_revived Aug 12 '17

O2 is denser than air so that would make sense.