Exos suborbital reusable rocket aborts prematurely during third launch
Week Three: Ninth Anniversary Fund-Raising Drive for Behind the Black
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Capitalism in space: The third flight of Exos Aerospace’s reusable suborbital rocket SARGE was cut short today shortly after launch when the rocket had attitude control problems.
A reusable suborbital rocket developed by Exos Aerospace suffered a loss of attitude control seconds after liftoff on a test flight June 29, but the rocket was still able to glide safely back to Earth.
Exos’ Suborbital Autonomous Rocket with GuidancE, or SARGE, rocket lifted off from Spaceport America in New Mexico at about 2 p.m. Eastern. In the company’s webcast, the rocket started gyrating seconds after liftoff before disappearing from view.
Controllers were able to reestablish some control of the rocket, aborting the flight. The rocket deployed a drogue parachute and parafoil while venting unused propellant. The rocket slowly descended under that parafoil, landing within view of the launch pad 14 minutes after liftoff.
That it appears they were able to safely recover the rocket and its payloads is significant, even though this failure is a setback for the company.
It is now the third week in my annual anniversary fund-raising campaign for Behind the Black.
Please consider donating. I am trying to avoid advertising on this website, but will be forced to add it if I do not get enough support from my readers. You can give a one-time contribution, from $5 to $100, or a regular subscription for as little as $2 per month. Your support will be deeply appreciated, and will allow me to continue to report on science and culture freely.
Regular readers can support Behind The Black with a contribution via paypal:
If Paypal doesn't work for you, you can support Behind The Black directly by sending your donation by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman, to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
Capitalism in space: The third flight of Exos Aerospace’s reusable suborbital rocket SARGE was cut short today shortly after launch when the rocket had attitude control problems.
A reusable suborbital rocket developed by Exos Aerospace suffered a loss of attitude control seconds after liftoff on a test flight June 29, but the rocket was still able to glide safely back to Earth.
Exos’ Suborbital Autonomous Rocket with GuidancE, or SARGE, rocket lifted off from Spaceport America in New Mexico at about 2 p.m. Eastern. In the company’s webcast, the rocket started gyrating seconds after liftoff before disappearing from view.
Controllers were able to reestablish some control of the rocket, aborting the flight. The rocket deployed a drogue parachute and parafoil while venting unused propellant. The rocket slowly descended under that parafoil, landing within view of the launch pad 14 minutes after liftoff.
That it appears they were able to safely recover the rocket and its payloads is significant, even though this failure is a setback for the company.
What or where will a malfunction land? I can understand why launches are on the east coast, but inland? I do not want to be down range.
It’s a suborbital rocket launched in New Mexico. Even when it works correctly, it’s going to land on land. Fortunately, New Mexico has a lot of wide open spaces.
White Sands has been launching since right after WW2. (and Bob Goddard had been launching in the Thirties up near Alamogordo). Admittedly, it was pretty Wild West in the early days,
“Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down? That’s not my department!” says Werner Von Braun.
https://genius.com/Tom-lehrer-wernher-von-braun-lyrics
The inevitable occurred – one V2 ended up coming down in Mexico (no casualties). Since the Mexican War was about a century in the past, the brass in Washington relieved the post commander and sent in a new one with instructions to put the Fear of God into the mad scientists. He succeeded. Stuff still comes screaming out of the sky, but it’s on Army property.