2 Articles: Rocket Planned for Space Tourism & Russian farmer vs. Space Agency

Two interesting articles today:

It looks like Richard Branson might have some competition in a few years:
https://apnews.myway.com/article/20080326/D8VL3GQ01.html

And here's a funny article regarding a Russian farmer, rockets and an outhouse:
https://www.reuters.com/article/wor...eedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

This part left me a bit worried:

"Residents in the neighboring village of Ust-Kan said rocket pieces regularly rain down on their area. Parts of the surrounding countryside are designated special zones where people may not go during the launches."

"Sometimes it's smooth metal casings, sometimes it's bolts. I remember something like an engine fell once," said Anatoly Kazakov, an Ust-Kan resident.

"THEY FLY, THEY FALL"

I had that same feeling. I mean you'd think that the things would be built well enough that stuff wouldn't be regularly falling off in flight...

I assumed that the parts falling off would be first stage boosters and the like.

They don't have a oceanfront launch site like the US does, and the stages that drop off before reaching orbit are going to come down somewhere...

Stages are one thing, and assumed they come off in one chunk / peice. When you get reports of nuts & bolts raining down, and the occasional 'engine'....

Reminds me of the Computer tech doing a 'shake test' to get the dropped screws out before powering up..

Dr Wogz said:

Reminds me of the Computer tech doing a 'shake test' to get the dropped screws out before powering up..

Click to expand...

It reminds me of something that happened when I was a teenager. I was at the New England Dragway where my older cousin was drag racing. He was really into it for a while. Anway my brothers and I were sitting on the pit stands right next to the track as a couple of cars were screaming by. Just before they got to the spot we were sitting one of their engines blew. There were parts flying everywhere as I remember it. I distinctly remember one bolt or nut hitting the metal stands not far from where we were sitting.

We were younger then so of course we thought it was pretty cool.