Briefs: Falcon 9 pad test update; Robert Braun's talk

SpaceX could attempt another static fire this afternoon, but that is a "big maybe," company officials say. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are passing across Central Florida today, but the impact of weather on the Falcon 9 rocket's engine test is unclear.

The strongback will be partially retracted away from the rocket before fueling occurs.

See webcam of the pad here.

Update: Spaceflight Now reports that

A SpaceX spokesperson says today's engine test has been scrubbed due to winds and weather at the launch site.

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Jeff Foust is continuing to post notes on Twitter from the Goddard Memorial Symposium.The new NASA Chief Technologist, Robert Braun, spoke this morning:
/-- Bobby Braun, NASA chief technologist: if NASA is going to work on gamechanging technologies, has to be ok that not all will succeed.
/-- Braun: new NASA Space Technology program designed to provide "technology push" for ideas with broadbased applications.
/-- Braun: mission directorates more focused on "technology pull", working on techs needed to accomplish their specific goals.
/-- Braun: culture at NASA is changing with respect to technology development efforts, driven from the top.

Posted 03/11/10 | 12:10:57 by TopSpacer | Filed under: General

Comments

Really good to see "failure is an option" because it is what both NASA and space development at large needs (and the point that NewSpace gets). The US will be/is truly jumping (and jumping far) ahead of every other country by choosing to add this approach.

I think of it as opening up the bell curve: instead of contracting the bell curve to the middle which is what one has to try to do if failure isn't an option one allows both the dismal failures and as a consequence also the astonishing successes --except for pure luck and/or extreme efforts (Apollo, 2nd only to WWII if I remember correctly) they go together.

Posted by Habitat Hermit at 03/11/10 20:54:02

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