Here's my thoughts as someone who has worked on rockets, and even seen a few of them blow up (but not my fault). It is amazingly depressing. It happens so fast, and there's a feeling of sheer helplessness. You can't do anything, and it's just gone. I imagine it's exactly how you would feel it you were watching your house burn down, or get ripped up by a natural disaster.
That being said, being reproducible is key. Both in terms of production of vehicles, and scientific experiments and equipment. Some of these things are very expensive, but it's always a good idea to have at least two copies going around, and probably more. You'll want to do testing and comparison experiments if the space flown one comes back.
Another thing not mentioned in this article is the concept of launch insurance. It's the homeowners insurance for getting stuff to space. It is also very tricky in terms of wording, and what is covered when (for example, when AMOS blew up on the pad that's different for the insurance than blowing up en route).
Some of the biggest troubles come when you have a limited launch window, and might not see another one for years, or tens of years. You just can't get that time back.
That being said, being reproducible is key. Both in terms of production of vehicles, and scientific experiments and equipment. Some of these things are very expensive, but it's always a good idea to have at least two copies going around, and probably more. You'll want to do testing and comparison experiments if the space flown one comes back.
Another thing not mentioned in this article is the concept of launch insurance. It's the homeowners insurance for getting stuff to space. It is also very tricky in terms of wording, and what is covered when (for example, when AMOS blew up on the pad that's different for the insurance than blowing up en route).
Some of the biggest troubles come when you have a limited launch window, and might not see another one for years, or tens of years. You just can't get that time back.