Northrop Grumman has nozzle nightmare, Soyuz brushes off lightning, and updates on Crew Dragon 'anomaly' probe

Last week NASA finally issued an update on the SpaceX Crew Dragon anomaly while Northrop Grumman enjoyed one all of its very own. Northrop Grumman 'successfully' complete rocket test. Bits fly off the fiery end Northrop Grumman experienced "something strange" with the nozzle of the CASTOR 600 first stage of its upcoming OmegA …

[John Robson]

The Aft exit cone...

As opposed to the forward one?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The Aft exit cone...

I wondered about that too. They also specified that it was the "... cone of the nozzle". The nozzle has more than one cone? Sounds like another case of spokesperson being paid by the word count...

[John Robson]

Re: The Aft exit cone...

No, but I can't recall how much of the combustion chamber is considered part of the nozzle - or whether the initial flare is a different shape and therefore a different construction to the bottom section which is easily described as bell^Hcone shaped.

I'm having to make some mental gymnastics to justify it though...

[Sorry that handle is already taken.]

Re: The Aft exit cone...

A forward exit cone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13qeX98tAS8&t=2m18s

Explosion icon because... well...

[John Robson]

Re: The Aft exit cone...

If there is a(n active) forward exit cone then you won’t be going to space today.

[MyffyW]

a scientifically intriguing dark spot?

Is it obelisk shaped?

[STOP_FORTH]

Re: a scientifically intriguing dark spot?

I told them they should have buried it deeper.

[Antron Argaiv]

Re: a scientifically intriguing dark spot?

We use a lot of foamcore where I work. There's been a large piece of black foamcore, leaning up against the wall in the main corridor for a while. Some wag has stuck a post-it note with "TMA-1" on it.

(Dimensions of the foamcore are not 1:4:9, though...)

Where's the "obelisk icon?

Copy of The Sentinel in the pocket...

[Throatwarbler Mangrove]

Re: a scientifically intriguing dark spot?

I believe you mean "monolith-shaped."

[JassMan]

Re: a scientifically intriguing dark spot?

What? Shaped like Uluru (Ayer's Rock) in the middle of Australia? The largest visible monolith in the world.

Monoliths can have any shape their creators desire.

[Jellied Eel]

Re: a scientifically intriguing dark spot?

I reckon pick from:-

a) The soup dump

b) Mold. Always happens with old cheese.

[DropBear]

Regarding the SpaceX "news", I'm having serious difficulties identifying what exactly makes it an update on anything; there's literally not a bit of information in it that wasn't already known.

[jfw25]

I don't see the problem with the Northrop test.

It's an exit cone. It exited. What else did they expect?

[JeffyPoooh]

"...flicking the all-important switch from SCE to AUX."

Not quite. Not "from". The instruction was: "Flight, try SCE to Aux."

i.e. Set the Signal Conditioning Electronics (SCE) power supply from normal power (NORM) to use Auxilary Power (AUX) instead.

So it's not "from" SCE to Aux. It's just: SCE to Aux.

But still, full points for including the Apollo 12 reference.

Ref: http://tryscetoaux.com/ for complete details.