Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!panix!.POSTED.panix2.panix.com!not-for-mail From: jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Re: =?UTF-8?B?4oCc4oCcSnVzdCBhIFNjcmF0Y2jigJ06IEVsb24gTXVzayBSZWFjdHMg?= =?UTF-8?Q?to_Massive_Explosion_of_Starship_During_Launchpad_Test=E2=80=9D?= Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:42:03 -0000 (UTC) Organization: Public Access Networks Corp. Message-ID: <10394nq$bt7$1@reader2.panix.com> References: <103291c$7e4r$1@dont-email.me> <1039112$kcg$1@panix2.panix.com> Injection-Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:42:03 -0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: reader2.panix.com; posting-host="panix2.panix.com:166.84.1.2"; logging-data="12199"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@panix.com" X-Newsreader: trn 4.0-test77 (Sep 1, 2010) In article <1039112$kcg$1@panix2.panix.com>, Scott Dorsey wrote: >Lynn McGuire wrote: >>Almost an hour and a half later, Musk posted regarding a possible >>cause, Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload >>bay failed below its proof pressure. If further investigation confirms >>that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design. > >Strong oxidizers are scary no matter what. Cold strong oxidizers have >even more to be scared about. > My older brother ran UW's ChemStores for a couple of decades, and collected graphic tales of horrific mishaps in a bid to convince UW's chemists to avoid unnecessary risk*. One story involved a delivery of LOX, a slow leak, and the drip drip drip of liquid oxygen onto asphalt. Turns out if you saturate asphalt with oxygen, you get something that is both unstable and capable of spectacular and swift energy production. * Such as carefully overcoming the threading on gas tanks to fill an N2 glove box with H2. -- My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/ My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/ My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/ My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll