Jose, if in space, the foam, when it detached, would be going the same
speed as the rocket, and the only incremental change in velocity would
be that cause by the rocket between the time it detached until it hit.
If the rocket was at say 3 Gs and the foam had 50 feet before it hit,
it would 'fall' for t = (2 * 50 / (3 * 32))^.5 or about a second.
Impact speed would be 100 feet a second or so or about 70 miles an
hour. It's light stuff, probably wouldn't hurt.

Because it's light stuff though, it probably had aerodyamic breaking to
about zero speed when it shed off in the atmosphere, and that would
mean a hypersonic impact. That would hurt -- and did.




On Jan 7, 10:35 am, Jose wrote:
Yes, and it is also why the shedding foam can only do serious damage within
the lower atmosphere, as the drag cannot decelerate the chunks enough to
strike with enough force to do harm at that altitude.Uh... even with no atmosphere, the rocket is accelerating wrt the
detached foam. I'm not convinced this is insignificant.

Jose
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