Talk:1980 Damascus Titan missile explosion

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The following references may be useful when improving this article in the future:

Troels Ussing; Andreas Abildgaard (2019). "Kärnvapen exploderar mitt i USA" [Nuclear weapon explodes in the middle of the USA]. Världens Historia (in Swedish). No. 13. Bonnier Publications International. pp. 60–69. ISSN 0806-4709. {{cite magazine}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)

link to a radio documentary

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/634/human-error-in-volatile-situations - Bevo (talk) 16:27, 25 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Collapse of fuel tank?

OK, so there was now a hole in the top of the fuel tank. Why was there therefore a danger of the whole fuel tank collapsing? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.212.71.65 (talk) 07:59, 22 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Much of the missile's weight was supported by the fuel tank, which was intended to always be always full of fuel in the silo. Because the missile's weight was supported primarily by the fuel in the tank rather than the fuel tank itself, a hole would lead to the fuel leaking out, meaning that the missile would then be supported only by the thin metal from the tank. It is analagous to why a full tin beverage can will support your weight when you stand on it, while an empty one will not. This is described in great detail in the Schlosser book referenced several times. Dtwedt (talk) 08:49, 22 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.212.71.65 (talk) 10:55, 22 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Excellent question, but Wikipedia is not really the place for asking questions on things not covered in the article. You might have better luck in the relevant sub-group of Stack Exchange or Reddit. RedTomato (talk) 14:07, 10 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Bit of proactive action?

OK, another question. The was great awareness of fuel and oxidiser leaks in the entire Titan 2 missile fleet. This was 1980, so proactive prevention was already a "thing". Why were these silos not fitted with heavy inert gas flood systems? Even CO2 flood systems would have been enough. A CO2 flood would have forced any leaked fuel or oxidiser to the surface. Even if it did catch on fire there, the consequences would have been nowhere near as disastrous as a fire in the silo. Why was this not done? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.212.71.65 (talk) 10:58, 22 February 2018 (UTC)[reply]

If you can find a link to that report - was it an official military or gov report? - or its title / publishing data (if it’s not online), that would be a helpful addition to the article. RedTomato (talk) 14:11, 10 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Actual reason it exploded

Several years ago I read the accident report. Even though the fuel and oxidizer will burn on contact that was not the cause. The cause was the fuel (or oxidizer, I can't remember which) that leaked reacted with the insulation on the side of the silo. That caused the material to overheat which eventually ignited the fuel. After that the missile collapsed which cause the other component to mix then the explosion happened. I wish I had saved that report so I could provide more information ... I'll keep looking. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.83.243.140 (talk) 01:46, 17 February 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Wiki Education assignment: Big Ideas in Chemistry

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 29 August 2023 and 19 December 2023. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Mbrighton3 (article contribs). Peer reviewers: Pringlesandluffy, Greengiraffe123.

— Assignment last updated by Pringlesandluffy (talk) 17:45, 3 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

What went wrong?

I think it would be beneficial to add a section talking about what went wrong and how it could have been prevented. Mbrighton3 (talk) 18:40, 23 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]