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[gutshot]

The long-running feud between Elon Musk’s space company and its fierce competitor United Launch Alliance took a bizarre twist this month when a SpaceX employee visited its facilities at Cape Canaveral, Fla., and asked for access to the roof of one of ULA’s buildings.

About two weeks earlier, one of SpaceX’s rockets blew up on a launchpad while it was awaiting an engine test. As part of the investigation, SpaceX officials had come across something suspicious they wanted to check out, according to three industry officials with knowledge of the episode. SpaceX had still images from video that appeared to show an odd shadow, then a white spot on the roof of a nearby building belonging to ULA, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and chief executive, has called the failure “the most difficult and complex” the company has ever had. About a week after the explosion, he pleaded with the public to turn in video or audio of the blast and said the company has not ruled out sabotage as a factor.

“Particularly trying to understand the quieter bang sound a few seconds before the fireball goes off,” he wrote on Twitter. “May come from rocket or something else.”

At a conference in Mexico earlier this week, Musk said that finding out what went wrong is the company’s “absolute top priority,” but he said what caused the explosion is still unknown.

“We’ve eliminated all of the obvious possibilities for what occurred there,” he said. “So what remains are the less probable answers.”

He didn’t say what those might be.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...b60514-874c-11e6-a3ef-f35afb41797f_story.html

 

[Robot Carnival]

my first thought is that this is like some James Bond movie story

 

[KINGofCRA5H]

Yikes.

 

[Weckum]

 

[mcfrank]

Why build one when you can build two for twice the price.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

Contact was the first thing that I thought of after reading the headline.

 

[GuyKazama]

That is one way to defer blame.

Next time they will pin it on Russian hackers.

 

[PdotMichael]

So after reading the article where are exactly the implications for sabotage?

 

[DeadlyParasite]

Science-fiction television topics on rocket sabotage often imply that there's probably some person from the future or alien species attempting to sabotage our efforts to reach the stars.

Or maybe it really is some scummy human being from a rival company trying to impede progress.

Either scenario is depressing.

 

[gutshot]

So after reading the article where are exactly the implications for sabotage?

I think the shadowy figure on the roof of ULA's building along with the flash of light and smaller bang just before the explosion are implicating a gun being fired.

 

[turmoil]

Elon once stated that his family fears for his life because SpaceX is a major competitor of Russian rocket's motors.

It's not crazy to suspect of LM or Boeing doing something like this sadly.

 

[Easy_D]

A sabotage? If this keeps up our civilization will never be intergalactic

 

[Ether_Snake]

In the video there are multiple "things" that fly by the rocket before it explodes, I'm guessing birds. People are pointing to one of those things as the "rocket" or whatever, even though it never hits it and is probably very far from it. Sounds baseless.

 

[Bowdz]

When I read that SpaceX wanted access to ULA'S roof earlier today, I didn't get ANY hint that they thought it was sabotage. I'm not saying it couldn't be sabotage, but it is so unbelievably unlikely. I love SpaceX, but it is so much more plausible that they had another COPV issue. Their deep cryo fueling has a notorious history of problems including a litany of issues that they caught before launches.

 

[GuyKazama]

Elon once stated that his family fears for his life because SpaceX is a major competitor of Russian rocket's motors.

It's not crazy to suspect of LM or Boeing doing something like this sadly.

Sure it is. Elon is just using the media to attack his competitors. The only "evidence" of sabotage is that SpaceX can't figure out the problem.

 

[Irnbru]

Elon once stated that his family fears for his life because SpaceX is a major competitor of Russian rocket's motors.

It's not crazy to suspect of LM or Boeing doing something like this sadly.

It would make 0 sense for either company to sabotage as it would impact the market for both companies negatively.

 

[John Kowalski]

oh shit

 

[FStop7]

I want to be a member of the US Air Force 45th Space Wing.

 

[Concept17]

I really hope this is not the case.

 

[Heavy_D206]

Elon Musk needs to come back down to reality.

 

[FStop7]

I think the shadowy figure on the roof of ULA's building along with the flash of light and smaller bang just before the explosion are implicating a gun being fired.

The article says ULA's building is over a mile away from the pad.

 

[PdotMichael]

The article says ULA's building is over a mile away from the pad.

I guess everything is possible in the virtual reality we are all living.

 

[Bowdz]

As others have pointed out on /SpaceX, if there was any suspicion of foul play by SpaceX, they'd have contacted the FBI.

It's also important to note that Elon is NOT parading around the sabotage theory beyond the initial tweet not being able to rule out sabotage (which was super reasonable two days after the event).

 

[SigSig]

Elon Musk needs to come back down to reality.

Nah, sensational press needs to come back down to earth. Also, you could come back down to earth and stop judging people after only reading thread titles.

 

[Lucky Forward]

The article says ULA's building is over a mile away from the pad.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-confirmed-sniper-kill

Confirmed by GPS, Craig Harrison (UK) of the UK’s Household Cavalry killed two Taliban insurgents from a distance of 2,474 m/2.47 km (8,120 ft, or 1.54 miles) in November 2009.

 

[haveheart]

It would make 0 sense for either company to sabotage as it would impact the market for both companies negatively.

As I understand it, space companies are very dependent on funding by govs, NASA. Weakening a competitor, making them appear to have problems they can't figure out makes sense. Funding money is a budget that can be exhausted at some point so they really have to fight for funding.

 

[Heavy_D206]

Nah, sensational press needs to come back down to earth. Also, you could come back down to earth and stop judging people after only reading thread titles.

I'm judging Elon based on everything he says and does. Which is exactly why I said he needs to come back to reality.

 

[PdotMichael]

As I understand it, space companies are very dependent on funding by govs, NASA. Weakening a competitor, making them appear to have problems they can't figure out makes sense. Funding money is a budget that can be exhausted at some point so they really have to fight for funding.

Yes, a joint venture of two of the largest companies in the USA will obviously do something like that for that pocket money.

 

[SigSig]

I'm judging Elon based on everything he says and does. Which is exactly why I said he needs to come back to reality.

I'm just trying to figure out how your drive-by post relates to this thread? Like, is not ruling out sabotage days after the event an indicator of not being down to reality?

 

[GuyKazama]

It's also important to note that Elon is NOT parading around the sabotage theory beyond the initial tweet not being able to rule out sabotage (which was super reasonable two days after the event).

He really shouldn't have sent the tweet. Just let the investigation play out.

 

[haveheart]

Yes, a joint venture of two of the largest companies in the USA will obviously do something like that for that pocket money.

Contracts for over 1 billions dollars are pocket money?

I'm not a conspiracy guy, I just want to say it's possible. Sobotage, manipulation are a thing...

 

[subrock]

So after reading the article where are exactly the implications for sabotage?

WaPO is jumping to some huge conclusions with that headline. They want to check some nearby rooftops, they're not sending in the FBI to swab for gunpowder.

 

[PdotMichael]

Contracts for over 1 billions dollars are pocket money?

I'm not a conspiracy guy, I just want to say it's possible. Sobotage, manipulation are a thing...

For Lockheed Martin and Boeing? Yes.

 

[Jebusman]

He really shouldn't have sent the tweet. Just let the investigation play out.

So it really sounds like Elon made one, offhand tweet about something that is definitely still a possibility at this stage, and it's moreso The Washington Post that's trying to make this stretch.

So maybe calm your Musk hate down a bit?

 

[DouglasteR]

Totally feasible and probably is what have been done.

Now its time to recheck everything, ids cams footage.

 

[andythinkpad]

Why would the gunman fire from the rooftop of his employer though. Can't you snipe it from a van?

 

[Austriacus]

I'm judging Elon based on everything he says and does. Which is exactly why I said he needs to come back to reality.

He doesnt actually, he needs to keep pinning for those clouds. Maybe fantasies for the common man are a dangerous thing to pursue but Musk is not a common man, he has the resources and capacity to achieve his dreams and if he does he propels humans into the future. What does it matter if he misses deadlines? He doesnt seem discouraged by them.

I say let him dream till the day he dies.

 

[PdotMichael]

So it really sounds like Elon made one, offhand tweet about something that is definitely still a possibility at this stage, and it's moreso The Washington Post that's trying to make this stretch.

So maybe calm your Musk hate down a bit?

So, two of the largest aerospace companies in the world are okay with doing a criminal act for what?

 

[Jebusman]

So, two of the largest aerospace companies in the world are okay with doing a criminal act for what?

Hey, I'm not here trying to argue it actually is/was sabotage.

I'm just speaking to the poster's immediate jumping to "This is all Musk's fault/He's just trying to push the blame away" when he literally has not been trying to push the blame away, but start looking towards the non-obvious answers as to what happened.

And sabotage, as unlikely as it would, is still technically a possibility.

 

[PdotMichael]

Hey, I'm not here trying to argue it actually is/was sabotage.

I'm just speaking to the poster's immediate jumping to "This is all Musk's fault/He's just trying to push the blame away" when he literally has not been trying to push the blame away, but start looking towards the non-obvious answers as to what happened.

And sabotage, as unlikely as it would, is still technically a possibility.

Well

 

[Jebusman]

Well

I still don't get what you're saying.

I'm not trying to sit here and argue that it WAS sabotage (as in 100%), but I'm also not going to sit here and definitively say it wasn't.

So ergo, it's a possibility. A slim one that I personally cannot give you reasons for because I don't work in that industry, but a possibility nonetheless. I really don't get what you think you're trying to "gotcha" me on. If they investigate it, and find no evidence, they move on to the next weird unlikely thing. It's a nonstory that the Washington Post drummed up for some extra clicks.

 

[Flai]

I'm judging Elon based on everything he says and does. Which is exactly why I said he needs to come back to reality.

What has he said? He hasn't said that the sabotage is the likely cause or blaming anyone. SpaceX obviously needs to consider everything and the following excerpt doesn't sound like they are too serious about this angle

... when a SpaceX employee visited its facilities at Cape Canaveral, Fla., and asked for access to the roof of one of ULA’s buildings.

 

[bsp]

WaPo is the one jumping to conclusions. Musk made one indirect tweet about examining every possibility, but if they had seriously suspected sabotage from ULA they wouldn't have sent an employee over there to let them know about it. Musk isn't the one indicating ULA at all.

Sabotage investigations after rocket failures aren't that extraordinary. NASA was constantly worried about it during Gemini and Apollo.

 

[DrM]

What will be the next theory? Saboteur from French Foreign legion infiltrating launch facility and sabotaging the rocket, so ESA could score some more Arianne contracts?

 

[PdotMichael]

I still don't get what you're saying.

I'm not trying to sit here and argue that it WAS sabotage (as in 100%), but I'm also not going to sit here and definitively say it wasn't.

So ergo, it's a possibility. A slim one that I personally cannot give you reasons for because I don't work in that industry, but a possibility nonetheless. I really don't get what you think you're trying to "gotcha" me on. If they investigate it, and find no evidence, they move on to the next weird unlikely thing. It's a nonstory that the Washington Post drummed up for some extra clicks.

It's bullshit.

There is no way one can cause a failure of the common structure between the liquid oxygen tank and the kerosene propellants tank from an over a mile far roof.

All your attempts of "I'm totally not saying that but..:" just shows that you have no fucking idea about this stuff.

 

[waxer]

Why talk about a far away roof. Did elon tweet that or are we mixing stories with his tweet or whatever.

 

[OdysseusVA]

Ooo

I love a good mystery

 

[bsp]

Why talk about a far away roof. Did elon tweet that or are we mixing stories with his tweet or whatever.

SpaceX had video of something supposedly occurring on the roof of a ULA building one mile from their launch pad during the Falcon explosion. They sent employees over there to ask for roof access for reasons we do not yet know. WaPo is insinuating it as a sabotage investigation. Neither Musk nor SpaceX have made any such claims or hints, just that with the probable causes being ruled out they must now investigate the improbable ones.

 

[brandonh83]

 

[kmfdmpig]

As I understand it, space companies are very dependent on funding by govs, NASA. Weakening a competitor, making them appear to have problems they can't figure out makes sense. Funding money is a budget that can be exhausted at some point so they really have to fight for funding.

The risk/reward proposition of something like this is off the charts, however. ULA would be risking its very existence, not to mention multiple people going to jail if they did something like that. It seems incredibly unlikely.