Safety Announcements

This is why testing is important. On the launch pad it looked normal. Engine looked normal. The result is a split case that blew out the side and blew apart the rocket. Nice 1-2 sec fireball, the chute actually deployed but the rocket came down in pieces. We found very part and will be putting it back together over the next few weeks. When people online say “I’ve never had issues with old engines” that is one use case scenario. We launched 20rockets and had 3 failures one of which was a total failure. 3 out of 20 is high. In 30years of rockets and 1000’s of launches I’ve had 1 failure of an engine until I test these this weekend. Manufacturers warn about these failures and the issues with old engines. I’m not saying don’t use them; I am saying be more cautious. Our launch pad is more than 2.5x the recommended length given by the major manufacturers. We follow safety precautions like a safety circle, kill key, and announcements to help avoid injuries due to engine failures. Remember “that’s the way we have always done it” doesn’t keep you out of the ER, safety did.