PR is a big thing especially with private rockets. On the CRS-1 mission, they referred to the engine anomaly that occured During ascent as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" when really it was a rupture in the engine fuel dome. Luckily the Falcon has an engine out capability so it still completed its primary mission. Had this been a NASA or other public company like ULA, the vehicle would've been grounded for X amount of months pending investigation, which in the case of SpaceX, would kill it's revenue stream. No launch, no profit.
that's partially why ULA keeps both the ATLAS and Delta family rockets. If one is grounded you have the other to rely on. SpaceX only has the Falcon. Hell, even the Millenium Falcon had problems with its hyperdrive.
Not trying to knock SpaceX here, I'm actually trying to get a job with them in aerospace engineering. They just have both an advantage and disadvantage by having one rocket system.
> PR is a big thing especially with private rockets. On the CRS-1 mission, they referred to the engine anomaly that occured During ascent as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" when really it was a rupture in the engine fuel dome.
"Rapid unscheduled disassembly" is a standard space industry term. Just like some other fun euphemisms - e.g. an "anomaly" or "lithobraking" (i.e. crashing hard into the ground). It's just a jargon, not PR. I wouldn't be surprised if whoever invented these terms had a good laugh over them.
that's partially why ULA keeps both the ATLAS and Delta family rockets. If one is grounded you have the other to rely on. SpaceX only has the Falcon. Hell, even the Millenium Falcon had problems with its hyperdrive.
Not trying to knock SpaceX here, I'm actually trying to get a job with them in aerospace engineering. They just have both an advantage and disadvantage by having one rocket system.