JF Mezei wrote:

On 2016-09-03 07:12, Fred J. McCall wrote:

Except today's rockets can do precisely that. One of the videos Mook
posted showed an ArianeSpace launch where the guidance software
freaked out and commanded a 90 degree turn. They blew the FTS to stop
the rocket.

And ironically, the debis fell in nearby villages.


Which is better than a whole ****ing rocket full of fuel falling in
nearby villages (or far away villages, if you stupidly just let it
fly).


Note that Ariane uses SRBs which are uncontrollable and don't explode
like a liquid fueled rocket. So pyros to break it apart is the only way
to break thrust.

With a liquid fueled rocket, they could simply shut down engines to kill
thrust. (if they can send command to trigger self-destruct, they should
be able to send command to shut off engines).


FTS is INDEPENDENT. Your idea is bad. Suppose FTS commands engine
shutdown while navigation software commands not to shutdown or
commands a restart. Now you're relying on software integration to
have gotten it right.

You still don't get the purpose of FTS and Range Safety.


But my guess is that when launching from somewhyere like KSC, once
they've cleared the pad, they're over water and one wonders is range
safety is still really needed for rockets without SRBs.


And if the guidance ****s up and it turns? Again, you don't
understand what Range Safety does.


If a rocket decides to turn inland just after clearing pad instead of
turning to the sea but is otherwise functional, once could debate
whether it is better to let it fly to deplete its fuel and fall down as
inert metal, or detonate it while still filled with fuel.


So it's better to let it fly on and hit Miami rather than terminating
it before that happens?


How many times in the last 20 years has a rocket launched from the
cape/ksc decided to rotate to go inland instead of rotating to go over sea ?


You don't roll dice on the odds of not hitting anything important if
it ****s up.


--
"Ordinarily he is insane. But he has lucid moments when he is
only stupid."
-- Heinrich Heine