Space Flight and Business Experts Available to Discuss SpaceX Rocket Explosion
This morning, an unmanned SpaceX rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station exploded shortly after launch. Experts from USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering and Marshall School of Business are available to provide context and commentary.
Contact: Robert Perkins at (213) 220-0017 or perkinsr@usc.edu; or Amy Blumenthal at (917) 710-1897 or amyblume@usc.edu
“That SpaceX has had so few mishaps is what is unusual”
Mike Gruntman, professor of astronautics at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, has worked in the past on analyzing space vehicle failures. He describes rocket and space development and testing as a high-risk endeavor, calling SpaceX’s track record to date “exceptional” — and says that these types of failures are fairly common for the industry and should be expected at this stage.
“There will be some short-term impacts, but this is a very normal thing. That SpaceX has had so few mishaps is what is unusual,” says Gruntman. “As long as it gets them concentrated on fixing problems, they’ll be able to keep moving forward.”
Gruntman, who is also the author of Blazing The Trail: The Early History Of Spacecraft And Rocketry, is available by phone or email. He is NOT available today for on-camera interviews.
Email mikeg@usc.edu, or call Robert Perkins at (213) 220-0017 or Amy Blumenthal at (917) 710-1897 to arrange an interview.
“This puts the firm directly under the microscope”
Greg Autry, assistant professor of clinical entrepreneurship at the USC Marshall School of Business has been researching commercial spaceflight firms for more than a decade. Autry authored last year’s FAA report on commercial spaceflight entitled An Analysis of the Competitive Advantage of the United States of America in Commercial Human Orbital Spaceflight Markets.
Autry describes the explosion as a challenge for SpaceX — one that he expects its competitors to attempt to politically exploit.
“SpaceX has a brilliant record for startup and has almost single handedly established real market competition in space. However, this puts the firm directly under the microscope. They had just won a hard fought battle for certification to loft military satellites and now we will surely see the traditional military industrial complex firms lobby against that competitive market model.”
“When you look at today’s explosion you’ve got to consider that SpaceX is also asking NASA to certify a version of that rocket and capsule for manned flight within the next couple of years and fighting for funding to do that. This is fodder for forces in Congress that want to return to a future passed and build Space Launch System, a traditional, very expensive, governmental rocket, like the Space Shuttle. It’s important to remember the Shuttle’s safety record was dismal and that both a Russian and another American private rocket have failed in ISS resupply attempts within the last eight months. These things happen in the space business.”
Autry is out of the state, but is available for telephone or email interviews. He can be reached by cell at (714) 366-8920 or by email at gautry@marshall.usc.edu.
