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How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster
Buran Space Shuttle Floats Along the Rhine
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| posts about #sovietspaceprogram more → |
How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster |
Buran Space Shuttle Floats Along the Rhine |
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
05/05/09
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On February 15, 1996, during the flight of the first Long March 3 B heavy carrier rocket carrying Intelsat 708, the rocket veered off course 22 seconds after launch. It crashed 1,850 meters away from the launch pad into a nearby mountain village, destroying 80 houses according to the official count, and killing more than 500 civilians according to unofficial Chinese sources. China has claim to the title.
05/06/09
China put the official death toll at 56, compared to USSR's official Nedelin death toll of 126 (thus, on paper, the Nedelin is officially the worst). US intelligence estimated the Nedelin at 190 and the Long March at over 200, but I'm curious where you got this "500+" estimate from.
05/06/09
Bottom line is that the author is way over selling this greatest disaster ever, as the Russian explosion is no where near as grave as a rocket destroying an entire rural village, official numbers or not.
05/06/09
Depending on the time of day and specific area, it's entirely possible to destroy a block of houses and not kill a single person. Parents will be at work and kids will be at school. Now, this _is_ China we're talking about, so it'd probably be more like fathers at work and kids at school, with most of the mothers stuck at home doing the housework and taking care of any infants (which _would_ be highly likely in a largely agrarian society...except that this is "one kid" China we're talking about). And there'd probably be some senior citizens as well. Given that this is China, 80 houses producing a death toll of 500+ is highly suspect, when a single household shouldn't run more than five people (parents, one kid max, and the father's parents). I don't know what methods the US intelligence people used to come up with their 200+ estimate, but unless there was some sort of public event taking place in the area, it feels like a more believable number. Doesn't mean it's right, just that it doesn't ring my illogic bell.
05/05/09
[en.wikipedia.org]
Plagued with problems from the outset, due to being unable to balance 30(!) Rockets in the first stage alone, it shortly failed and crashed back down on the launch pad, creating the most powerful Rocket explosion of all time.
05/06/09
You, sir, have a strange idea of "worst". The Nedelin killed _at_least_ 190 people. If you add up every other confirmed space-related death, this one incident falls just shy of accounting for half of every space-related death. Now, the flip side of that is that we lost a satellite during launch in China, and they only confirmed 56 dead while US intelligence officials believe the final death toll was over 200 (which would make that the worst space-related disaster in history).
Big explosions just cost time and money to clean up after, but dead people stay dead.
05/06/09
Unless you get some sort of new chemical reaction which reanimates them. Zombie space technicians!!!
05/06/09
That only happens in the 7th season.
05/05/09
Did you mean: 'missile'?
Did you mean: 'fueled'?
Did you mean: to spell check before posting ?
Oh No's! the corroseive fuled missle in xplodeng !
05/05/09
I'm sure he also meant: "...by the men who..."
It's like a Where's Waldo of spelling and grammar mistakes... and you failed to find them all so you shall be put to death. For the Mother Russia!
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Btw, I only do what I do because I love you. Group hug?
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