Tag: SpaceX

The 12 best ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’ memes after SpaceX rocket explosion

Here’s the fun new phrase everyone’s using, including SpaceX.

It’s been quite a morning for SpaceX, which launched a large unmanned starship on Thursday after delays.

That it launched at all was a big victory despite the fact that it exploded minutes later. But it wasn’t being called an explosion.

No, according to SpaceX it was a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” which, uh, rapidly became Twitter’s new favorite euphemism to use and my favorite new meme of the day.

So here’s a roundup of some of the best jokes and memes we’ve seen using “rapid unscheduled disassembly” so far:

9 best videos of SpaceX’s starship test launch and explosion

The most powerful rocket ever built met an eventful end

The most powerful rocket ever built has officially launched.

With the test flight of SpaceX’s unmanned starship on on Thursday from Boca Chica, Texas, scientists have moved one small, but vastly important step closer to a new space age.

The starship took off after a few delays, reached maximum dynamic pressure and lasted about four minutes before exploding at the end of its Stage 1 burn. At that point the unmanned spaceship was attempting to separate from the booster and ignite second stage engines. It would’ve been a smashing success if accomplished.

Overall, this was a massive win for SpaceX and its engineers. The fact that starship made it off the launch pad is an achievement years in the making. You can read more about all the impressive specs and stats in this wonderful breakdown from USA Today here.

But that’s not what this post is for. We’re here to watch the best clips of the big rocket going boom.

A successful SpaceX shuttle launch is exactly what 2020 needed

It’s so cooooool.

Finally, some good news to talk about for a bit.

The SpaceX shuttle launch of its Crew Dragon capsule went off today without a single hitch.

There was a worry that there could be yet another weather delay that got in the way, but nope! We’re in the clear and, for the first time since 2011, astronauts have been set out to the International Space Station from a launch on U.S. soil.

The astronauts are already on the way to the International Space Station and should arrive on Sunday morning if things go according to plan.

The launch looked absolutely incredible. SpaceX documented each moment on Twitter and it’s the coolest thing you’ll see today.

They started with liftoff.

We even got to see the main engine cutoff separation and the start of the second engine burn.

And if that wasn’t cool enough already, the Falcon 9 booster that broke off somehow landed itself perfectly on a target in the middle of the sea after falling down from space.

 

It was absolutely perfect. The internet got a chance to enjoy it — even if it was for just a second.

We also had a pretty awesome moment when we realized Bob Behnken, one of the astronauts on board, actually brought his son’s toy dinosaur into space with him.

That’s right, fam. A toy dinosaur was launched into space before you were. Imagine that.

This was absolutely awesome and much needed with everything else that’s going on in our lives right now. Yes, it’s only a moment. And there are important things going on right here down on earth.

But still, our future just got a little bit brighter. And with the way 2020 has gone for all of us so far, that’s a big win.

Yes, a SpaceX rocket did blow up but it’s not the one you think it is

We’re still getting a launch on Saturday

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That was a SpaceX space shuttle that quite literally blew up on on your Twitter timeline.

But no, it’s not the one that you think it is.

SpaceX was conducting a rocket engine test on one of their starships Friday and then, all of a sudden, it just randomly exploded. Some people on Twitter panicked and thought the ship was the same one SpaceX and NASA are set to launch on Saturday.

Thankfully, though, it’s not. What people saw blowing up on their timelines was actually the Starship SN4 prototype. It was going through an engine test that, obviously, it has failed.

It’s unclear if anyone actually got hurt in this explosion. SpaceX hasn’t released any information just yet. We only have this jarring video to go off of.

Goodness, man. That is extremely terrifying. Hopefully, everyone is alright and no one got hurt.

They were conducting a “static fire” test, which is basically like doing a car engine test except for, well, it’s a space ship. They ignite the main Raptor engine on the ship while holding it down and in place. Then this happened.

The SN4 blowing up stinks. SpaceX is developing this rocket with intentions of sending people to deep space destinations like the Moon and Mars. Basically, it’d be like a cruise ship but into space instead of, say, Jamaica or something.

Pretty cool, right? We’re one step closer to The Expanse becoming our actual lives. I’m definitely starting a new life in the Belt when the time comes — if you know, you know.

Here’s the thing, though. This is the fourth time they’ve lost this starship prototype. And, though this one got a bit further than the rest, there probably isn’t going to be much left from this wreck that is salvageable.

The ship was set to fly soon in a low-altitude flight test if it remained in tact. Obviously, that isn’t happening now. And that’s a big setback.

This stinks. Hopefully, this rocket gets completed at some point. But if there’s still a silver lining here it’s that we’re still scheduled for a lunch tomorrow.

Well, if the weather allows it, anyway.

The SpaceX launch got postponed in the final minutes and everyone was bummed out

Thanks for nothing, 2020.

Wednesday was supposed to be a historic day as Elon Musk’s SpaceX was scheduled to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in a mission called Demo-2.

I said “supposed to” because this is the year 2020 after all and nothing continues to go our way as weather in Florida caused the launch at the Kennedy Space Center to be postponed just minutes before the launch was going to happen.

They will try to do it all over again on Saturday with a scheduled launch time of 3:22 p.m. ET.

This was a big bummer as we were all looking forward to seeing the first time that a commercial aerospace company sent astronauts to space. Now we must wait a few more days.

Twitter was bummed out and made at 2020:

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How to watch the historic SpaceX launch, ‘Demo-2,’ live online

Watch SpaceX’s first attempt at launching astronauts into outer space.

SpaceX has a chance to make history on Wednesday as the first commercial aerospace company to send humans into Earth’s orbit. In the mission called Demo-2, the company has organized the launch of two NASA astronauts in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Barring bad weather or technical issues, liftoff will take place at 4:33 p.m. ET. from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County, Florida. They will then spend about 19 hours in space before arriving at the International Space Station, where they will spend 30 to 119 days.

It could be the first time the United States launches an astronaut into space since 2011 when the nation ended its Space Shuttle Program. Instead, American astronauts travel to and train in Russia, where they ride the Soyuz spacecraft. Two veteran astronauts — Robert Behnken, 49, and Douglas Hurley, 53 — may reverse that trend, with help from SpaceX, NASA and Elon Musk.

For those interested in watching the launch, there are no shortage of options. Here’s a full list of the NASA streams available:

The three-day even includes a busy schedule. Here’s a look at what SpaceX plans to pack into the launch and ensuing events, via Space.com.

Wednesday, May 27 (all times in EDT)

  • 12:15 p.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins (continues through docking
  • 4:33 p.m. – Liftoff
  • 5:22 p.m. – Crew Dragon phase burn
  • 6:05 p.m. – Far-field manual flight test
  • 7:05 p.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon
  • 7:30 p.m. – Postlaunch news conference at Kennedy

Thursday, May 28

  • 7:20 a.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon
  • 11:39 a.m. – Docking
  • 1:55 p.m. – Hatch Open
  • 2:25 p.m. – Welcome ceremony
  • 4:15 p.m. – Post-Arrival News Conference at Johnson

Friday, May 29

  • 11:05 a.m. – Space Station crew news conference, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley
  • 12:50 p.m. – SpaceX employee event and Class of 2020 Mosaic presentation, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley

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