Comments on: SpaceX’s loses launch contract due to scheduling delays https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/spacexs-loses-launch-contract-due-to-scheduling-delays/ Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:36:16 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Edward https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/spacexs-loses-launch-contract-due-to-scheduling-delays/#comment-950930 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:36:16 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=43109#comment-950930 ken anthony,
It would be a good take, except that it assumes that SpaceX could have been flying for a couple of months.

So far, I have seen no evidence that SpaceX yet has confidence in the new procedures that they have said should solve the problem, and with this latest delay, I see evidence that they still do not have enough confidence to fly and may even be considering tweaking or testing the procedure some more.

Having been on the problem solving side of faulty or misbehaving spaceflight hardware, I know that these things are not rushed. Rushing is how other problems are missed and how accidents happen.

A company or team that does not fully understand the process can end up with a rocket exploding on the pad due to unexpected reactions, and oh!, that’s just what happened to SpaceX. I think it is likely that they are being especially cautious, this time.

Since their site is announced as “Random Musings from the Warped Minds of …,” I suspect that Selenian Boondocks does not want us to take their musings too seriously.

]]> By: ken anthony https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/spacexs-loses-launch-contract-due-to-scheduling-delays/#comment-950908 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 02:14:43 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=43109#comment-950908 Selenium boondocks has a good take on this.

]]> By: Edward https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/spacexs-loses-launch-contract-due-to-scheduling-delays/#comment-950907 Fri, 09 Dec 2016 02:09:28 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=43109#comment-950907 The good news is that SpaceX is demonstrating seriousness about reliability. They seem to be willing to lose a payload in order to assure that they have fixed their problem and will consistently launch safely. This may be a short-term setback, but if the next many launches go well, it is likely a long-term victory.

True or not (I think “not”), many people blamed pressure to launch for the Challenger disaster. SpaceX seems to be telling the world that they would rather lose a payload to a competitor than fold from such pressure.

Although this is not the one that went to Arianespace, EchoStar 23 has some pressure to get on orbit and be operational by the middle of next year, otherwise the Brazilian license may expire for some of the frequencies the satellite is built to use. This may merely be an additional financial cost to EchoStar, as I am guessing that they could maintain these frequencies by paying a fine to Brazil, should they end up missing the deadline.

]]> By: ChrisL https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/spacexs-loses-launch-contract-due-to-scheduling-delays/#comment-950823 Thu, 08 Dec 2016 18:55:30 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=43109#comment-950823 That’s what competition is about. If you can’t meet the buyer’s needs, he goes elsewhere. In the private sector, failure has consequences.

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