ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Space → Space flight

SpaceX rocket suffers engine anomaly, officials insist it’s not a failure

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
October 9, 2012
in Space flight
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

If we want to address climate change, we could use the help of the military
Huge floods might have spelled doom for prevalent American civilization
Scientists found a way to make car tires using eggshells and tomato peels
Mother Earth: photo-documented from space by astronaut Scott Kelly

After SpaceX managed what seemed to be a successful launch, one of the nine Merlin engines suffered what the company called “an anomaly” – an anomaly that looks just like an explosion – but engineers insist it’s not really a problem and everything went according to plan. You can check it out for yourself, in this slow-motion video.

Data suggested the engine lost pressure quickly and a shutdown order was issued; the team kept receiving information from the engine, which again, goes to show that it didn’t blow up. Furthermore, the team added that this is actually a good thing, showing that the shuttle can perform even when not all goes according to plan.

“The fact that the Falcon was still able to reach orbit safely despite [the anomaly] is overwhelming evidence that SpaceX knows what they’re doing and that they have had safety, reliability, and robustness of design in mind since the beginning of their design work,” Astronauts4Hire‘s Corbin remarked. “A systems-level analysis could uncover bigger problems,” Corbin pointed out. “Considering the rocket was near MaxQ, I think what they experienced was as bad as it could get, or pretty close, which is good, because even with that engine failure they succeeded.”

The bad thing is that not only did something bad happen, but engineers don’t know why it happened. They hope to figure this out in the following days. SpaceX is currently the only private company able to make commercial space flights, thus being the single supplier of such services for NASA, who shut down its low orbit space program.

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Health

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

byTibi Puiu
2 days ago
Anthropology

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

byTudor Tarita
2 days ago
Biology

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

byTudor Tarita
2 days ago
News

This $8750 Watch Was Designed for Space and Could Finally Replace Apollo-era Omega Watches

byTudor Tarita
2 days ago

Recent news

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

July 4, 2025

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

July 4, 2025

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

July 4, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.