“ Space is orders of magnitude more complex than air flight”
Not true! The challenges are different but space is in a sense simpler since the reliability requirements for space are not as stringent.
Not true! The challenges are different but space is in a sense simpler since the reliability requirements for space are not as stringent.
If airplanes had the same failure rates as even the most reliable rockets in existence, we'd be seeing tens to hundreds of crashes per day. Of course it's not because rockets are "allowed" to fail more regularly, but because this is the best we can currently manage.
“An airliner has to survive 13 hours in the air. A rocket only has to survive 13 minutes.”