Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

That's the entire reason why they launch from the coast, so that if something goes wrong the debris or booster will fall into the ocean.



What if the termination system was needed because it turned out of control early on?


You probably still have a >50% chance that it's going to be over water since that's the direction it was initially moving. Yes, if flight termination fails and by chance it vectors backwards towards land somehow without just spinning like out of control rockets normally do then it may fly far enough to wind up on someone else's property but that's why launch sites are located at a reasonable distance from inhabited areas. The point is that it's very different to take all of those precautions vs. just flying your rockets over inhabited areas as a matter of course and not giving a fuck if they land on someone.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: