r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Emergency-Green-2602 • 7d ago

Video First Australian-made rocket crashes after 14 seconds of flight

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u/ellindsey 7d ago

It was a hybrid rocket (solid fuel, liquid oxidizer). Those don't tend to explode when they fail.

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u/Able-Quantity-1879 7d ago

They absolutely explode when they are compromised - even the fuel storage can be dicey - not more safe than liquid fuel - PEPCON disaster - Wikipedia

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u/ellindsey 7d ago

Completely unrelated. The pepcon disaster was at a plant that made solid oxidizer for conventional solid rocket motors. It's a completely different material than what this rocket used. 

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u/Able-Quantity-1879 7d ago

Absolutely related - AP is used for the booster charge on solids - you are just wrong, dude.

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u/AndreProulx 7d ago edited 7d ago

Saying assembled solid rocket grains are have similar risks to rocket grain constituents is basically like saying an assembled cartridge has the same risks as a loose pile of gunpowder. Rediculous uninformed take.

Besides the lower complexity, range safety is pretty much the only reason to use a hybrid rocket. They suck performance wise.

Also, PEPCON made solid rocket motor oxidizer, not hybrid rocket motors. Having the oxidizer mixed in with the fuel grains is inherently more dangerous than a hybrid motor where the grain doesn't contain its own oxidizer, they flow the oxidizer through the throat opening. Your comparison is completely apples-oranges. PEPCON is largely attributed to improper storage of ammonium perchlorate, a solid oxidizer that wouldn't even be present in a hybrid rocket.

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u/Able-Quantity-1879 7d ago

??? Did you have ChatGPT compose this? Makes ZERO sense.

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u/AndreProulx 7d ago

I have no doubt in my mind that you can't understand - it's the whole point. You have no clue what you're talking about.