Pythom Space (But should be Monty Python)

[edzieba]

[libra]

"I think it's a joke, sir..."

... like...Sillius Soddus, or...Biggus Dickus

What's so funny about a rocket shapped like a... Bigguth Dickuth?

[apollolanding]

"I think it's a joke, sir..."

... like...Sillius Soddus, or...Biggus Dickus

What's so funny about a rocket shapped like a... Bigguth Dickuth?

He has a wife you know...
Intercontinentia...
Intercontinentia Rockets

[sevenperforce]

Their "Pythom Hot Test Jan 12, 2021" video on Vimeo (which starts with a title card that says "PYTHOM Asterex 4.0 Rocket Engine Test Jan 12, 2020") is worthy of attention.  Is it just me, or is the countdown at 2:45... off nominal?

10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 3 ... 4 ... 2... 1...

I suppose I shouldn't be too harsh on someone just for getting some dates and numbers and stuff wrong.  I mean, it's not like it's rocket science.

That definitely appears to be a hot test. I have yet to see any evidence that it is a hot fire test, except in the sense that it was hot, and fire happened. I saw no indication of ignition or sustained burn.

[SpeakertoAnimals]

Their "Pythom Hot Test Jan 12, 2021" video on Vimeo (which starts with a title card that says "PYTHOM Asterex 4.0 Rocket Engine Test Jan 12, 2020") is worthy of attention.  Is it just me, or is the countdown at 2:45... off nominal?

10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 3 ... 4 ... 2... 1...

I suppose I shouldn't be too harsh on someone just for getting some dates and numbers and stuff wrong.  I mean, it's not like it's rocket science.

That definitely appears to be a hot test. I have yet to see any evidence that it is a hot fire test, except in the sense that it was hot, and fire happened. I saw no indication of ignition or sustained burn.

Did this flame device develop usable thrust?

[sevenperforce]

That definitely appears to be a hot test. I have yet to see any evidence that it is a hot fire test, except in the sense that it was hot, and fire happened. I saw no indication of ignition or sustained burn.

Did this flame device develop usable thrust?

There’s literally zero indication of sustained ignition and zero indication of any developed thrust. I would hazard that the thrust levels demonstrated (if they even had the common sense to hook up a load cell) fail to exceed the thrust derived from their pressurant levels.

Do they even state what engine cycle their engine-cum-IED is supposed to be using?

[Gliderflyer]

That definitely appears to be a hot test. I have yet to see any evidence that it is a hot fire test, except in the sense that it was hot, and fire happened. I saw no indication of ignition or sustained burn.

Did this flame device develop usable thrust?

There’s literally zero indication of sustained ignition and zero indication of any developed thrust. I would hazard that the thrust levels demonstrated (if they even had the common sense to hook up a load cell) fail to exceed the thrust derived from their pressurant levels.

Do they even state what engine cycle their engine-cum-IED is supposed to be using?

Some patent-pending cyclic pressure thing called "Black Magic". No details on it (I haven't found the patent application yet), but I'm betting it is something similar to the Flometrics pistonless pump.

[xyv]

I'm calling it. This is definitely performance art. Look at the production values; professional drone footage, sound track mixed in by pros or serious amateurs.  Everything else is a laugh fest. This has all of the hallmarks of a Spinal Tap troll of a community that (let's face it) deserves it (a bit).

[su27k]

I think this is a good attitude towards this whole thing:

https://twitter.com/Robotbeat/status/1514017618738520069

Stupid rocket stunts that ONLY endanger the direct participants are acceptable. Yeah, the guys were pretty dumb, but they lived. If they endangered the general public, then sure, troll them into the ground.


Vaguetweeting, but y’all know.


Like, I wouldn’t give them money. I wouldn’t want to be a part of that. BUT, it’s their own stupidity impacting themselves. Darwin will sort this stuff out.


I mean, it was a particularly high degree of sketchiness, but I’ve heard stories from respected rocket plumbers that are verrrry sphincter-clenching and would be concern trolled hard on Twitter if they were highly visible at the time. Small groups of driven rocket folk are brave.

[plugger.lockett]

Personally, I think this picture shows their approach the best.  I believe the American term night be "redneck"??

I definitely wouldn't say redneck. TBH they look more like burners to me (aka Burning Man attendees).

[SimonFD]

I'm calling it. This is definitely performance art. Look at the production values; professional drone footage, sound track mixed in by pros or serious amateurs.  Everything else is a laugh fest. This has all of the hallmarks of a Spinal Tap troll of a community that (let's face it) deserves it (a bit).

Agree. If that thing had generated any thrust at all the trailer it was on would have exited the shot pretty quickly.
Spoof.

[kevinof]

Sure but if they do end up killing one of their own then we might be asking ourselves why didn’t we dump all over them, why didn’t we troll them until they improved their safety? Who knows - maybe they have already based on the twitter feedback (but I kind of doubt it).

I think this is a good attitude towards this whole thing:

https://twitter.com/Robotbeat/status/1514017618738520069

Stupid rocket stunts that ONLY endanger the direct participants are acceptable. Yeah, the guys were pretty dumb, but they lived. If they endangered the general public, then sure, troll them into the ground.


Vaguetweeting, but y’all know.


Like, I wouldn’t give them money. I wouldn’t want to be a part of that. BUT, it’s their own stupidity impacting themselves. Darwin will sort this stuff out.


I mean, it was a particularly high degree of sketchiness, but I’ve heard stories from respected rocket plumbers that are verrrry sphincter-clenching and would be concern trolled hard on Twitter if they were highly visible at the time. Small groups of driven rocket folk are brave.

[Kryten]

 You also have to wonder what kind of environmental procedures they're working with, e.g. when they're apparently making their own nitric acid from stump remover - and similar for other startups working with relatively exotic fuels like Aphelion.

[Gliderflyer]

I'm calling it. This is definitely performance art. Look at the production values; professional drone footage, sound track mixed in by pros or serious amateurs.  Everything else is a laugh fest. This has all of the hallmarks of a Spinal Tap troll of a community that (let's face it) deserves it (a bit).

Agree. If that thing had generated any thrust at all the trailer it was on would have exited the shot pretty quickly.
Spoof.

Nothing wrong with trailer test stands (many do it successfully). One of their other tests actually achieved choked flow (complete with horrendous combustion stability issues):

[edzieba]

I think this is a good attitude towards this whole thing:

https://twitter.com/Robotbeat/status/1514017618738520069

Stupid rocket stunts that ONLY endanger the direct participants are acceptable. Yeah, the guys were pretty dumb, but they lived. If they endangered the general public, then sure, troll them into the ground.


Vaguetweeting, but y’all know.


Like, I wouldn’t give them money. I wouldn’t want to be a part of that. BUT, it’s their own stupidity impacting themselves. Darwin will sort this stuff out.


I mean, it was a particularly high degree of sketchiness, but I’ve heard stories from respected rocket plumbers that are verrrry sphincter-clenching and would be concern trolled hard on Twitter if they were highly visible at the time. Small groups of driven rocket folk are brave.

The problem with "it only harms themselves" is that it doesn't. Even disregarding all the normal external costs inherent with personal injury (e.g. general insurance impact on others, use of and occupation of public health resources, unavailability of occupied emergency response for other casualties, etc), generating a history of poor behaviour and accidents in rocketry invites limits to be placed an rocketry in general that impacts even those who are not wantonly and unnecessarily unsafe. And that's not just a government effect: whoever let these yahoos onto their land likely will not be willing to do so again, and may also bar others (who may handle their propellants with proper care) too to avoid further hassle. Then company that sold them propellants may no longer want to be associated with them, and may consider other amateur buyers to be just as untrustworthy. The company that rented them the tanker to transport the propellants (which we can't see, so I'm really hoping they did and didn't just cart it over in jerry cans in the back of a truck, not outside the realms of possibility in this case) may not wish to rent to them again or any other amateur rocketry outfit, etc.
If people demonstrate they can't do things safely without oversight, oversight will occur; because if people playing with tanks of nitric acid are willing to handle it incompetently, there's nothing else to stop them handling it incompetently with members of the public impacted. That oxidiser needed to be trucked to site from point of purchase, and who wants to bet they handled it correctly and safely only right up until they dumped it out a nozzle practically at their feet?

[mn]

And they posted a video of their zoom session

https://www.pythom.space/updates/the-call-of-the-wild-pythom-zoom-event-taped

Link directly to video:

Disclaimer: posting for entertainment purposes only.

[Hamish.Student]

I wonder where Jim is; I would genuinely love to hear his thoughts on this operation.

[Skyway]

And they posted a video of their zoom session

https://www.pythom.space/updates/the-call-of-the-wild-pythom-zoom-event-taped

Link directly to video:

Disclaimer: posting for entertainment purposes only.

Oh my God...

In addition to having no idea what they're doing and having no idea what safety is, it's a group of immature and arrogant people who don't know how to take criticism.

I hope they don't kill anyone in the process, although this is a very real possibility in environments like that.

In just the first 4 minutes of the video, several absurdities are said without them realizing how far from reality they are:

"There will be no hard hats on other planets"
"People were next to the suspended load, not underneath"
"It's a bigger pile of gravel than we've seen at other launch sites"

And yet a "provocation" saying that they are smarter than the folks at Relativity Space.

I mean... seriously? And that's all in the first 4 minutes!

I'll watch the rest now, if I can...

[libra]

Monty Pythom (not) flying circus... enough said.



Even more ironical since Elon Musk used the music for his memorable video "how NOT to land a rocket booster."

[lightleviathan]

Not sure if this counts as an update, but Pythom posted a "Happy New Year 2024" post on their website. They also posted some new images.