Slashdot Mirror
Bad Testing Doomed NASA's Hypersonic X-43A
RobertB-DC writes "Space.com got hold of NASA's yet-to-be-released report on the June 2001 failure of the air-breathing X-43A hypersonic research vehicle, and it doesn't look good for 'Faster, Better, Cheaper'. The report refuses to single out any one contributing factor, but it cites ground testing 'inaccuracies' and 'misinterpretation' of wind tunnel data -- in particular, failure to retest the vehicle after additional heat protection was added. As noted in the original Slashdot article, the craft went out of control when the fins broke off just seconds into flight."
The X-43A MIB report underscores the fact that the Hyper-X launch vehicle contract was developed under the faster, better, cheaper philosophy
the rules clearly state that you may only choose 2 of the above!!
they didn't train enough!
Banaaaana!
Damn it, Bobby Ted! That JB Weld was supposed to hold them goldang fins on tight....lemme check that thar tube. You dumb ass! It says that it holds in temperatures up to 200 degrees F not 2000! Get that antenna out of your ass!
This comment was randomly generated by a school of piranhas chewing on the PCB of a Microsoft Natural Keyboard.
Wow, I've heard of ghetto engineering ... but the fins just flat fell off a second into the flight?! C'mon, I expect much better of NASA. Hell, even I can manage to launch a rocket whose fins will stay fully attached until the parachute burns through and the entire assemblage smacks into the ground, sending fin particles everywhere. But that's MANY seconds after launch, not only a few.
Cyde Weys Musings - Scrutinizing the inscrutable
But the wing's structure could take the hit from a piece of hard foam. The problem was the heat tiles are so increadibly fragile that they broke apart, at which point, the leading edge of the wing could no longer survive going Mach 25 in an atmosphere. If you can find a stronger substance that has the same heat properties as the tiles on the shuttle, that's one thing, otherwise, can a C-17's wings handle Mach 25 in an atmosphere?
common sense: noun
What those who are ignorant of the subject matter think; usually wrong.
What about astrology, the most rediculious of the sciences!
Astrology ain't a science bub, no more than palm reading. Next you'll be telling me John Edwards is a scientist.
But knowitall engineers use trensastors with inferious sound quality just to save a few bucks
And musicians will actually buy them! And a good hunk of the population will love to listen to them. There are three stations on XM radio pretty much devoted to sound coming from transitors. Moby's pretty big but where would he be without the transitor? Now, you may not like him but, as you said, you cannot apply objective reasoning to something that is intrinsicly subjective.
It is a lot of work, but the upshot is improved grammer and spelling skills that are lacking in the technical.
You deserve a +2 Funny for this remark in a post that has some of the worst spelling I have ever seen. I think you should demand your money back if you're being serious.
common sense: noun
What those who are ignorant of the subject matter think; usually wrong.
NASA should call on (and pay lots of money to) the inimitable Bruce Simpson.
Colonel Sandurz: Prepare ship for light speed.
Dark Helmet: No, no, no, light speed is too slow.
Colonel Sandurz: Light speed, too slow?
Dark Helmet: Yes, we're gonna have to go right to ludicrous speed.