On 10/8/12, R Oler orbitjet@hotmail.com wrote:
Yeah...about 1:20 just as they are going supersonic the number 1 engine "rapidly disassembles"...it was hard to see this in real time but you knew something was up when they announced a longer burn...26 seconds.
Having said that...I have been in a Boeing when the CF-6 on the starboard wing threw blades and the kevlar there worked as well...so this is all in all an impressive thing that they rolled past this and went on to orbit
but they will want to understand why (likely) the turbopump came apart ...you can in the picture see the nozzle in half and non directed "flame"...
I dont know of another multi engine rocket that would have survived this. the shuttle probably would not have. Robert WB5MZO
I watched the launch on the Internet and didn't take much notice of the problem others than the exhaust plume briefly expanding.
Apparently it 's not the first time the Falcon 9 had engine problems during flight:
http://www.spacenews.com/civil/spacex-acknowledges-falcon-engine-anomaly-dur...
If I recall correctly, during one of the earlier space shuttle missions, one of the main engines shut down early during launch but the spacecraft still made it into orbit.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL