3005: Disposal

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Disposal
We were disappointed that the rocket didn't make a THOOOONK noise when it went into the tube, but we're setting up big loudspeakers for future launches to add the sound effect.
Title text: We were disappointed that the rocket didn't make a THOOOONK noise when it went into the tube, but we're setting up big loudspeakers for future launches to add the sound effect.

Explanation

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This comic is about humorous solutions to problems. Instead of trying to make a rocket that doesn’t explode upon impact, Randall’s team has decided to make a rocket disposal hole, hence the comic name.

This comic came out about 2 weeks after SpaceX successfully caught the returning SuperHeavy booster rocket using giant arms on the launch tower.

Transcript

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[A two-stage rocket is ascending with a plume of exhaust behind it] [The first stage falls off and the second stage ignites] [The first stage begins to fall, turned off] [The first stage reignites to control trajectory and attitude] [The first stage falls toward a large hole with a lid. A Cueball is holding the lid open] [Cueball pushes the lid closed] Click [The first stage, now out of sight, explodes, Cueball shielding his ears and flinching away from the loud noise] BOOOOM Caption below comic: Our rockets were good at steering, but we couldn't get them to land without exploding, so we just dug a rocket disposal hole.


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Discussion

That's either a giant Cueball, or a really tiny rocket. Barmar (talk) 23:05, 30 October 2024 (UTC)

It's an Electron? Or maybe Falcon 1? Redacted II (talk) 00:23, 31 October 2024 (UTC)
He must be assigned there by the Range Danger Officer. Elizium23 (talk) 03:05, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

It seems strange to me to see Randall drawing a rocket landing with its engine pointing upward instead of downward, when he traditionally has expressed so much interest in rocket and space physics. It's also notable that the rocket-landing problem was solved by others before SpaceX was considered to have, I bumped into a successful project on a maker site in the past couple years. 172.68.3.71 01:23, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

SpaceX was the first to propulsively land an orbital booster. Redacted II (talk) 01:39, 31 October 2024 (UTC)
The first to propulsively land an orbital booster east of the Mississippi. Elizium23 (talk) 03:04, 31 October 2024 (UTC)
The extra energy from impacting at high speed ensures the rocket is thoroughly disassembled for maximum packing efficiency. RegularSizedGuy (talk) 06:24, 31 October 2024 (UTC)
I do not think it strange for the rocket engine pointing upwards, I think it funny. It was definitely on purpose. Sebastian --172.68.110.148 08:05, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

There’s a Space Category, and a Kerbal program Category and a Mars Rover Category, why not a Rocket category? I propose on creating one. All in favor? 42.book.addict (talk) 02:33, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

AYE! B for brain (talk) (youtube channel wobsite (supposed to be a blag)) 09:43, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

I remember when businesses would use canisters to hold receipts and send them through vacuum tubes from the checkout to accounting. The canisters would make a "THOOOONK" sound when sucked into the vacuum tubes. I suggest that is why the comic is expecting a "THOOOONK" sound when the rocket enters the disposal site. Rtanenbaum (talk) 11:08, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

We have at least three supplimental jokes in the explination. If we keep this up we're going to need an explainexplainXKCD page. 172.69.135.130 16:00, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

Out of interest, what 'supplimental' jokes would you say these three things are? I see nothing that isn't actually explanation or explainable (if necessary) by the links embed in the text itself. Improvements are always welcome, but maybe we don't necessarily know where there needs to be more honed/expanded description unless you point out where it lacks it. 172.69.194.11 16:49, 31 October 2024 (UTC)