Re: Soyuz TMA-12 faulty


"Jochem Huhmann" <joh@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:m2zlq9b2sh.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Jeff Findley" <jeff.findley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

Every experienced delivery pilot has a horror story or two about
things that were wrong with a type certified airplane brand new from
the factory.

And expendable launch vehicles are subject to those sorts of horror
stories.
The current problems with Soyuz DM not properly separating from the Soyuz
SM
are in that category.

I rather think these are purely problems with quality control and not
with the principle of expendable launch vehicles. Even with reusable
vehicles you need very much the same kind of quality control for spare
parts and maintenance and if you fail to realize that you're going to be
screwed either way.

On a reusable vehicle, quality control problems like this show up during
initial test flights. I believe that Boeing generally has at least one test
flight of every airliner that rolls off its production lines. They don't
just hand the thing over to the customer without testing it first.

The point is that an expendable vehicle's first test flight is also its last
operational flight, so there is precious little room for *any* sort of
production problem.

Jeff
--
A clever person solves a problem.
A wise person avoids it. -- Einstein


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Soyuz TMA-12 faulty
    ... And expendable launch vehicles are subject to those sorts of horror stories. ... The current problems with Soyuz DM not properly separating from the Soyuz SM ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Soyuz TMA-12 faulty
    ... And expendable launch vehicles are subject to those sorts of horror stories. ... The current problems with Soyuz DM not properly separating from the Soyuz SM ... I rather think these are purely problems with quality control and not ...
    (sci.space.history)
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