General News Orbital Sciences Antares rocket explodes

Really sucks X.X I'm glad nobody died, but I'm sure the ISS crew need those supplies and I hate to see any setback with the space program.

We've been launching rockets for over fifty years and they still occasionally explode. Why must rocket science be so difficult?

 

Well there are some rumors that it may have been down to the engines which were old Russian space rockets from their moon landing program. They were refurbished to more modern specs, but apparently one of the engines exploded earlier this year during testing according to the BBC

 

From what I understand, they were old, but very reputable in their reliability because the Soviets actually had a space program to rival NASA at the time. It could have been something about the engine or anything else, really. It's crazy what kind of complexity is involved in rocket science not practiced by Kerbals.

 

There is a little game called Kerbal Space Program. While not the most accurate representation of rocket science, it gives you a pretty good idea of the countless ways things could go wrong. Their tag line is "How hard can rocket science be?"

Possible. Rockets aren't cheap, and funding are getting cut due to economic problems. Until we get to a point where we can have reusable space vehicles, those things are gonna cost a small nation's worth of fortune. Makes sense if they reuse old stuff, just need thorough inspection and repair to ensure nothing bad happens.

 

Back in the earlier days of stock car racing, there was a phrase that was often heard, and it seems appropriate here:

"She just blowed up..."