It’s difficult to do rocket science. Aerodynamics, momentum conservation, and propellant flow are all examples of rigorous physics, which helps to explain why rocket launches are so costly and time-consuming. But if you’ve read this far, you’re probably aware of the one rule of rocket launches: don’t stand near to the blazing column of flames as it lifts off. These Pythom Space engineers, who recently published a video demonstrating a rocket launch of their own, don’t appear to think so. The brief video shows the engineers running for their life away from the rocket after it has ignited, and experts from all over the internet have spoken out against rocket safety.
Pythom is a modest space corporation that aspires to be mighty in the aerospace sector, with great dreams of launching ships to the Moon and Mars while keeping expenses cheap by employing a small workforce. The crew is undeniably competent, boasting their Eiger rocket, which can purportedly take off from anyplace, and its Olympus lander, which might transport humans to celestial planets. A micro-jump of their Eiger stage one rocket is seen in their most recent update. Micro-jumps are an important phase in rocket development since they indicate that the rocket can lift off steadily and that the components will not all come apart under extreme stress. The micro-jump was a success, according to their blog post, with the stage moving “maybe a foot or two” off the ground.
However, Ars Technica writer Eric Berger noticed a scene in the film where the engineers are extremely near to the fired rocket, fleeing the cloud of red dust created by the burning fuel. Berger also pointed out that the video shows the engineers handling components with “less than industry-standard care” in many instances. The footage, which is a reupload of the original video after Pythom erased the segment of them fleeing away, may be seen below. After then, the criticism began to pour in. Jordan Noone, an aerospace engineer, remarked that they “knew better as college students.” Others laughed it off, comparing it to the Gary Larson cartoon rocket, while others expressed alarm over the orange cloud the engineers came so near to, believing it was possibly poisonous.
Pythom has subsequently replied, both in private conversations and in a public blog post on their website, and they aren’t pleased with the internet ridicule. They stated that the corporation was just demonstrating the opposite side of aeronautical engineering, something competitors like SpaceX would not dare to do. “In the Pythom style of exposing things as they are,” the business continues, “we had broadcast a video of the leap, including the “scary” sections, which are generally brushed under the rug in the aerospace sector.”
They go on to detail their safety plans, which they claim no one ever asked for, as well as how the rocket works on “green” fuel, which does not produce the hazardous clouds that other rockets generate. Only three people were seen fleeing the cloud, according to Pythom. These are essential members who are highly trained and have completed treks to Everest and beyond, however we’re not sure if this makes you fireproof. The opinion appears to be clear: while Pythom’s achievements are great, they should not come at the expense of employee safety. There are several examples of safety violations, and the corporation should definitely consider making changes, but it is unclear if they have any plans to do so. Critics will have to wait until the company’s Zoom Q&A on April 21 to see what Pythom genuinely has to say.
