That Crew Dragon test was not Accurate?

KPH

Jan 19, 2020
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Ok I'm an arm chair engineer, house builder and physics aficionado so if there's anyone reading this take it with a grain of salt. The test today of the Crew Dragon seems to me like it was not even close to the real world dangers of an engine or other failure. Just looking at the video, watching the capsule coast away from the engines before they exploded, I immediately thought that looks great if there is some warning of imminent failure and systems separate the capsule in plenty of time before the engine fuel explodes. But that isn't how it would happen. As someone, maybe Elon pointed out it may need to be an escape from close proximity to the explosion, as in Star Wars, as in the Challenger disaster. Of course it would!!! Then what is the speed of the capsule? Probably not Mach 2, maybe Mach 10, with what all that acceleration implies for the occupants.
K
 
Jan 13, 2020
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Salt taken- I watched the same capsule as you but it looked to me like it was accelerating as it separated from the falcon9, clouds in the way and all. Either way both Commercial Crew system are going to be cleared for crew even tho each had issues. I f you really want to nitpick pick Starliner not having to prove it's approach and docking software!
 
Nov 30, 2019
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Ok I'm an arm chair engineer, house builder and physics aficionado so if there's anyone reading this take it with a grain of salt. The test today of the Crew Dragon seems to me like it was not even close to the real world dangers of an engine or other failure. Just looking at the video, watching the capsule coast away from the engines before they exploded, I immediately thought that looks great if there is some warning of imminent failure and systems separate the capsule in plenty of time before the engine fuel explodes. But that isn't how it would happen. As someone, maybe Elon pointed out it may need to be an escape from close proximity to the explosion, as in Star Wars, as in the Challenger disaster. Of course it would!!! Then what is the speed of the capsule? Probably not Mach 2, maybe Mach 10, with what all that acceleration implies for the occupants.
K
I know as much as you, but at the press conference we were told the escape mechanism is smart, it can be remote launched or auto launched, and it is smart as in it can adjust its escape velocity to the situation, this low speed low G test was for that purpose to test it can do a low speed escape if it’s warranted, but it’s also capable of, a far higher G escape if it’s needed, so your Mach 10 while I have no clue to if it can do that it can go to far higher G than the test, demonstrated, but that was part of the smart abort it has. So not to half kill the passengers with a Mach 10 escape if it’s not needed.
as far as we were told the sequence of events was main engine cut off while it Simultaneously spooled up its own engines release and fired away. So I think we saw, the time delay it takes to spool up the caspsule engines, while I am sure it was far from instant the capsule separation was almost.
Not having the capsule engines Already pressurised will be the delay and also a safety Precaution. for normal launches.

So All in An, almost instant, I assume the setup we saw, was just one scenario of many it’s designed to cope with. but your right the time it took to fire it’s engines did seem a long one, but I assume thats why it separates first to mitigate the effect of a fast engine explosion. And as Elon said fly out of the fire ball if needed.
They did say explosion is not accurate, while it does explode the rocket it’s not that violent as explosions go, and capsule separation helps with that. as will the Increased air resistance the rocket gets from the capsule separating from it, while the capsule continues to enjoy its reduced drag as the nose cone.

in the end nothing is ever safe about climbing onto a space rocket so I assume they except that risk. When astronauts climb on one.
 
Nov 30, 2019
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Salt taken- I watched the same capsule as you but it looked to me like it was accelerating as it separated from the falcon9, clouds in the way and all. Either way both Commercial Crew system are going to be cleared for crew even tho each had issues. I f you really want to nitpick pick Starliner not having to prove it's approach and docking software!
I think starliner got a pass because it can be docked with the stations arm if needed. So even if it fails on the next mission it will not endanger its crew.
but I agree I will be surprised if its was not required to repeat the test. As it didn’t go well even if crew were not in danger.
 
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