Reusable rockets promise much easier testing because you should usually get them back, and you can debug as you go rather than having to get everything perfect the first time. Henry Spencer backdebugeasy Change image and share on social
Sometimes people wonder why aeroplanes are so cheap and rockets are so expensive. Even the most superficial comparison shows one obvious difference: aeroplane engines use outside air to burn their fuel, while rockets have to carry their own oxidisers along. Henry Spencer aeroplaneairburn share on social
In the first few years, it was at least plausible to come in in the morning and read all the Usenet traffic that had come in, and 15 minutes later be off doing something useful. Henry Spencer minutemorningplausible Change image and share on social
Speaking of photography, while the Apollo 8 crew shot hundreds of photos, there was one that got everybody's attention: a blue-and-white Earth rising over a gray moonscape. Henry Spencer apolloattentionblue Change image and share on social
One of the headaches of high-tech test programmes is having to debug the test arrangements before you can start debugging the things you're trying to test. Henry Spencer arrangementdebugheadach Change image and share on social
The communications delays between Earth and Mars can be half an hour or more, so the people on the ground can't participate minute by minute in Mars surface activities. Henry Spencer activitycommunicationdelay Change image and share on social
SpaceX does seem to have had a run of bad luck, with its first three launches all failing. Henry Spencer badfaillaunch Change image and share on social
Sure, there were hopes that Constellation's systems could later be adapted to support more ambitious goals. But Apollo had those hopes, too. It didn't work in 1970, and it wasn't going to work in 2020. Henry Spencer adaptambitiousapollo share on social
Sometimes a malfunctioning test setup actually gives the tested system a chance to show what it can do in an unrehearsed emergency. During a test of an Apollo escape system in the 1960s, the escape system successfully got the capsule clear of a malfunctioning test rocket. Henry Spencer 1960sapollocapsule share on social
It's true that Apollo 10's lander was overweight. Late in the craft's development, it became clear that its ballooning weight was endangering the whole mission. Henry Spencer apolloballoonclear Change image and share on social
