back to article Red-faced LOHAN team 'fesses up in blown SPEARS fuse fiasco

It's while standing in the corner of the room wearing pointy hats emblazoned with a big "D" that the Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) team admits today that the blown fuse which scuppered our recent Punch test flight actually went pop back in September last year. Youtube Video Yes indeed, during the test flight of …

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  1. Nick Ryan Silver badge

    If the professionals can fit sensors upside down and confuse metric with imperial measurements, I'm sure a missed blown fuse is quite forgivable :)

  2. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Nothing is fool proof for a sufficiently talented fool

    Thumbs up for fessing up!

    I do not doubt that <Austrian accent>You'll be back</Austrian accent>

  3. Monkey Bob
    Mushroom

    Oh come on, it's not rocket science.

    waitaminute...

    1. Swarthy
      Boffin

      Re: Oh come on, it's not rocket science.

      It's ballocket science!

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: Oh come on, it's not rocket science.

        Ballocket science == it works

        Rockoon science == something went wrong.

  4. Steve Hersey

    This fits within the definition of engineering

    Engineering; the discipline of dealing with technical artifacts that don't work. You start with something that is totally nonfunctional (indeed, nonexistent), perform engineering activity on it, and over time produce something that is nonfunctional at progressively higher levels. Just as soon as it all works, it ceases to be the subject of engineering, and the engineer goes on to something else that doesn't work (yet).

    Viewed in this context, that overlooked blown fuse is clearly part of the engineering game. Look at it this way; at least you didn't vaporize an entire crew of astronauts because of a problem you'd been explicitly warned about. Plus, you HAVE a fuse, and the worst-case consequences of the error are noncritical. All part of the game.

    1. Stanislaw

      Re: This fits within the definition of engineering

      at least you didn't vaporize an entire crew of astronauts because of a problem you'd been explicitly warned about

      Yup, a tragic example of politics overriding engineering.

      On the other hand, one thing that always deeply impressed me about NASA was that they already had in place their systems - such as the Flight Director polling all the various stations prior to making a major decision like launch/no launch, or of having only one person allowed to talk to the spacecraft - before the first Mercury flights. It all sounds obvious in hindsight but someone, somewhere had to think of all this stuff and then write the manuals. That's proper systems engineering, is that.

      So, SPB: on the next live stream I want to hear Lester "Kranz" Haines polling each of his minions and securing a "Go!" from each before leaving hold of the balloon!

  5. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

    That's one seriously botched preflight!

    Meanwhile, the Playmonaut urgently feels the need to check his insurance cover...

  6. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    <cough cough>

    The original SPEARS board had lots of pretty lights to tell you if the fuse (and everything else) was ok!

  7. I Am Spartacus
    Boffin

    Fuse Blown - I can fix that

    http://www.joydeepdeb.com/images/solution/electrical-problem.jpg

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: Fuse Blown - I can fix that

      Works for me.

    2. Chris G

      Re: Fuse Blown - I can fix that

      I am so pleased to see the conscientious application of safe insulated handles on the fussors!

    3. Allan George Dyer
      Coat

      Re: Fuse Blown - I can fix that

      You Are Spartacus, I have this feeling that you, the Reg and all commtards ought to be arrested under extreme pornography laws because you linked to that, that, that… DISGUSTING picture!

      I'm off to wash my mind with bleach and turn myself in.

    4. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge

      Re: Fuse Blown - I can fix that

      It's amazing how well a hacksawed-down 6" nail works as a 13A fuse replacement and can even earn praise as an entirely professional bodge!

      Without standards you are nothing.

    5. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

      Re: Fuse Blown - I can fix that

      TskTsk. When you need to plug a Euro plug into a BS1363 socket, you insert the scissors in the Earth hole to push down the shield, then insert the plug pins into the newly-accessible L/N holes. There shouldn't be any need to waste a perfectly good 13A plug.

      1. Gerry Doyle 1

        Re: Fuse Blown - I can fix that

        No need for any other tools - simply insert one leg of the Euro plug into the earth hole to open the shield, then plug the other leg into the live hole.

        1. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

          Re: Fuse Blown - I can fix that

          Hmm, no RCDs in your installation, then?

  8. kmac499

    Points on the board

    - 1 for a blown fuse

    + 1 gazillion for reporting a self fail.

    BTW

    Experience = SUM(ALL_MY_COCKUPS_TODATE) '' which are legion in my case

  9. James Hughes 1

    Blimey

    Make a major mistake with a fuse ruining a hugely important test flight, and have to stand in the corner wearing a hat; make one minor programming error in OpenSSL and get vilified.

    What is the world coming to?

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Optional Joke

    I though Lohan was a ginger, so how did you a have a blonde moment????

  11. Nunyabiznes

    blade fuse

    Honest question:

    Why are you using a glass fuse instead of a blade style? The whole fuse assembly would be lighter (not much but it all counts) and less sensitive to shock damage.

    You could even go mini blade for the amps you are looking at.

    1. James Hughes 1

      Re: blade fuse

      Surely a blade fuse holder would be bigger and heavier than an inline fuse holder? (Or can you get inline blade fuse holders)

      1. Gavin King

        Re: In-Line blade fuse holders

        You can get these: for example. I don't know if the combined weight of the fuse and holder would be any less than the glass ones though: they look rather bulky.

    2. MondoMan
      Pint

      Re: glass vs blade fuse

      The automotive-style standard and mini blade fuses I'm familiar are *much* harder to visually evaluate, and must be viewed from the side. The glass tubes are easy to evaluate from any angle, even if buried in a circuitry box. As a final bonus, they float if dropped in your beer.

  12. Charlie Clark Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Hanging's too good for 'em!

    NFT

  13. The Axe

    Learn from your mistakes

    Look at it as a learning experience. You're all the better because of it for next time.

  14. Rick Brasche

    more proof

    once again, proof that it IS rocket science, and kinda hard.

    Now El Reg SPB can't laugh AT SpaceX, they can only laugh WITH them.

    Blown fuse, leaky thrusters-the devil is in the details.

    So when do glide tests/ground launches of the airframe start? Gotta make sure it actually flies and can stabilize under boost...don't want it spinning or rolling like the SS1 tried to do.

  15. Gary Bickford

    Read "The Checklist Manifesto"

    My CEO just loaned me "The Checklist Manifesto", as he liked it. It's a good read about the history of checklists and why we need them. The first well-known modern use was very much related to flying, and avoiding minor problems like taking a nose dive into the ground. A simple checklist turned a failed Boeing bomber prototype (crashed and burned on the first test flight) into the very successful B-17 bomber. And the author notes that lives were saved during his own surgery practice due to using checklists.

  16. Roger Greenwood
    Pint

    Testing

    This is why testing is such a large part of any engineering/new product. There is no substitute after you have finished playing with calculations and simulations.

    I also note the lack of emphasis on checklists up to now.

    Per ardua ad astra as proper pilots would say.

    Good luck with the big one. Beer already cold.

  17. Elmer Phud
    Boffin

    Standard Procedure

    To avoid embarassing questions and awkward moments, the corporate model ought to be utilised in this situation.

    Locate the one employee that had no part in putting together the bits, the sole worker who is looked on as merely a passenger.

    Sorry Frogmanaut -- you get the P45.

    Nothing personal, it's just business.

  18. i like crisps
    Trollface

    Maybe...

    ...a 13 amp one next time?

  19. Mark 85
    Pint

    You've done well....

    You've advanced science a bit and also learned something along the way. Murphy is a pig and pops up when least expected. On the good side, you've fixed a glitch in the checklist and took the red-faced "oops" well.

  20. John Jennings

    Problem identified, fix in place

    Nothing more to see here.....

    'you were only meant to blow the bloody doors off!' (not the fuse as well ;))

  21. Will Godfrey Silver badge

    I'd be inclined to go for a resettable polyfuse, esepecially if the igniters are known to go S/C sometimes.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re, Polyfuses

    Have been known to cause issues such as fire, turns out that under some marginal conditions they act as resistors rather than cleanly going near open resulting in overheating.

    This can be prevented by following the manufacturers spec sheet and also using a fuse rated correctly for the intended load.

    Disclaimer:- YMMV etc.

  23. Andus McCoatover
    Windows

    Sorry...but...

    Why a fuse in the first place??

    Thing's designed to go 'bang' anyway, and unless the intrepid playmonaught has been trained to replace it in flight, just seems like excess weight to me.

  24. paulc

    slow blow fuses please gents...

    can handle a higher current for a period before blowing.

  25. Francis Vaughan

    "the responsibility for checking the fuse wasn't specifically his"

    Your problem right there. Unless everything is specifically one and only one person's ultimate responsibility these things always slip past.

  26. Stratman

    Was the fuse mounted on a round tuit?

  27. Eclectic Man Silver badge

    Public Inquiry

    Surely this warrants a full public inquiry headed by a high court judge with powers to compel witnesses to attend and give evidence? As the UK's, and probably the world's, premier ballocket research organisation with global significance (you do after all have an entry in the Guinness bok of records) this is a matter of national disgrace and humiliation.

    A full on public inquiry is what is needed right now to assess the harm, what went wrong, and, of course to cost millions of pounds and take years to reach a conclusion. And questions in the House.

    or am I over-reacting?

    1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Public Inquiry

      Not over-reacting at all.

      Of course, following the public enquiry, an objection will be raised as to the selection of the members of the enquiry panel.

      A judicial review will then be demanded.

      1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

        Re: Re: Public Inquiry

        I'm launching a pre-emptive objection to the public enquiry, the members of the post-enquiry enquiry panel, and the judicials who will sit in judgement of this most serious of matters.

        Then we'll appeal and sue the fuse manufacturer, and the company who supplied the materials to the fuse manufacturer. Then we'll sue all of you lot for emotional damages. Reply to this post and consider yourself sued.

  28. sniperpaddy

    Real professionals use HAZOPs

    A thorough HAZOP analysis would have identified this as an issue at the design stage and it would have been added to a pre-flight check list.

    .

    At least, that's what engineering professionals do in the pharmaceutical, automotive, manufacturing, building design, medical design and, God forbid, aircraft design.

    .

    What happened here ????,

  29. thx1138v2

    Perspective

    Not as bad as running 100% oxygen in a closed, manned capsule full of eletrical switches.

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