What is the key metric mentioned for measuring the success of SpaceX’s safety planning for large reusable rocket failures?

Answer

The success of failure containment—keeping debris within acceptable, unpopulated ocean zones

The development phase of large reusable rockets like Starship inherently involves experimentation, leading to uncertainty regarding the precise point of structural failure or intentional termination. Therefore, the true measure of the operator's safety planning is not solely based on a successful ascent but rather on their capacity for containment when things go wrong. Effectiveness will be judged by how well SpaceX can manage 'failure containment,' meaning keeping debris confined to acceptable, unpopulated ocean zones, rather than having fragments travel hundreds of miles downrange toward populated coastlines or sovereign islands.

What is the key metric mentioned for measuring the success of SpaceX’s safety planning for large reusable rocket failures?

#Videos

Several people in the Bahamas witnessed debris from a SpaceX ...

SpaceX rocket explosion leads to ground stops at Florida airports

SpaceXspace debrisaccidents