SpaceX Rocket launch and failure

she's breaking apart Jim, I can't hold her.

looks like fuel slosh to me causing the ever worsening osculations. The rocket is trying to compensate by gimballing the exhaust nozzle but it isn't designed to counter that sort of problem where the rocket is going off course because of a sustained and constantly changing force. You can see it works perfectly in normal conditions when it makes a correction when the second stage fires but it can't deal with the constant movement of the fuel, instead it worsens the situation.

actually if you watch around 3:30 the first stage hits the exhaust cone, likely causing some damage.

says so in the vid info :p

As says lejink, it is the shock between first and second stage engine when separating that cause the later failure. They modified the timing of engine separation to avoid this on launch number 4.

pretty neat

Although I do not work with rockets,I definitely have seen computer algorithms find a harmonic that could lead to devastating outcome. My guess (from what I have seen) is that since the nozzle was moving around in an unhindered fashion, either the guidance system failed or the mechanical parts failed. Either way I am sure that the launch was bittersweet to get that far and have it fail. . .

what kind of rocket is this? that does not look like a launchpad.

wow looking at the earth there sure looks cool

very impressive...

Yea was great and I didn't notice any problem, I'm not a rocket scientist, but I would presume that turn would happen whislt your in space?